Dragon Ball Oblivion: The Lone Wolf Saga
by Shisoukengo
Summary: Angry and disheartened over his exclusion from representing the Universe 7 team in the Tournament of Power, Yamcha makes a decision that will inevitably change both him and his relationship with the other Z-fighters. However, the former desert bandit encounters more than he bargained for when he finds himself caught up in a galactic struggle between alien forces vying for supremacy
1. Isolation

**Dragon Ball Oblivion: The Lone Wolf Saga  
Chapter 1 – Isolation  
by: Shisoukengo**

 _Justify you waste away, You dare to dream but still, you're too afraid_

 _And now you're broken and deceived, Lost to live this cruel reality_

 _You're disconnected so alone, Severed ties from all you know_

 _Isolation_

 _Brings you to the end, Until you love again_

 _Isolation_

 _If you could only see, What will come to be?_

 _Four Years After the Events of the Tournament of Power_

Surrounded by the vast darkness of space, among the twinkle of both distant and nearby stars, a round object streaked through the emptiness. Shaped like a disc, with clear windows that circled around the front of its structure, this object flew through the vast emptiness of space at incredible speeds. Inside, two figures stood in front of a control panel, eyeing the concourse as it detailed the trajectory of their current course toward their destination. A beeping sound alerted them of their next checkpoint, the final one that would see them set on a straight path toward the planet to which they were heading.

"I've gotta say, usin the gravitational pull of stars to help propel us along our journey's a brilliant idea, Nashi," one of the figures spoke, its voice deep, gruff, and distinctly male in tone.

Humanoid in appearance with the exception of the sharp incisors and angular ears which sat atop his head; he was of average height and stout in stature, this being stood with his arms crossed over a chiseled and muscular frame. His arms, shoulders, and the sides of his abdomen and chest were covered in sparse gray hairs, the center of his chest and abdomen the only part of his body that was bare. Dressed in black, loose-fitting pants and a copper-colored vest, which had two sections that extended past his waist and down each leg. On the center of his chest, connected to two plated straps that extended both over each shoulder and around his waist, was a blue metallic circular device. Strapped just above each of his wrists and ankles, were metallic bracers digitally connected to the metallic device on his chest.

Although the navigator of the crew and thus directing their course, he still sometimes marveled at the scientific brilliance of his other companion. Turning his head toward said companion, he looked on as the other being continued to monitor the panel, which displayed a digital map of the star system through which their ship was traveling. The other figure turned to look at him, having seemingly completed their inspection of the ship's panel.

"Well Lupine, he wanted us to be as efficient with our fuel as possible, to give us time to prepare for our arrival on Earth, and so he could complete his training." Turning to glance in the direction of an area of the ship behind them, the second being, a female, softly blushed then clasped her face with both hands as she released a soft sigh, the look reminiscent of a female infatuated with a male. "He's so strong and cool, yet considerate at the same time, amazing!"

Lupine had to shake his head at the antics of the only female member of their group. With fair tan skin, and long, curly hair the color of an apricot, and an athletic body that had grown a solid foot in height since her revival, her beauty certainly made her a sight to behold. This was only compounded by her impressive intellect and bright disposition.

But what made her so interesting, and a constant source of amusement was her clear infatuation with the DE-facto leader of their crew. She was clearly romantically inclined toward their teammate, as well as fiercely loyal, however, her unfamiliarity with such emotions made her attempts at communicating those feelings awkward. The other two beings had spent the past three months within a portion of the ship, further honing the skills and techniques they individually collected and had spent the previous 3 years mastering. Unfolding his arms, Lupine began walking toward the back of the ship, intent on informing the third member of their crew of the upcoming final leg of their journey. While there was no established hierarchy to their motley crew, as each of them viewed themselves as equal contributors to their crew, both viewed this being as the leader of the group. Passing through the automatic doors which led to the rear quarters, he stopped at a large set of double doors. He could feel the physical pull and strain on his body, even though he hadn't entered the room yet. Given the fact that Nashi had specially designed this portion of the ship with a magnetic field to isolate it from the other parts of the ship, it was a testament to how hard their companion was training inside. As he could not enter the room while the field was raised, since doing so could potentially throw them off course, causing potentially fatal consequences, he instead pushed a button on an intercom located on the wall. "As you requested, we've reached the final portion of our journey." He waited a few moments, but after receiving no response, Lupine turned and began walking back to join Nashi in guiding the ship to their destination.

After all, both he and Nashi were adept at detecting ki signatures thanks to the person currently in training, and he could tell from the slight fluctuation of his comrade's ki inside the training room that he had heard the message. Giving a wolfish smile, so appropriate on his features, he began reflecting on the man he'd met several years prior.

 _'Your strength has grown by tremendous amounts since I met you, like watchin a pup grow into an alpha. Because of ya, I've also gained power I never thought possible, and my kin was also revived in the process.'_ Lupine returned to the deck of the flying spacecraft, folding his arms over his chest once again as he looked out of the window, onto the blackness of space. The ship bounded around the red star known as Centaurus, the nearest star to the system in which they were headed. _'Because of the things you've done, for me and my people, I invoked the rare custom of my kin, the Okuri, and have taken your journey as my journey, and your enemies as my enemies. And in the name of my kin, I shall see you returned to your home, and your honor restored.'_ As the ship propelled away from Centaurus, and continued on its journey, the training room in the rear of the ship filled with the ki of its lone inhabitant. Arms held in the customary position of his iconic fighting style, legs held in a stance perfectly designed to enable him the most efficient movements possible, the figure stood in what appeared as a meditative pose. A crimson aura swirled around him in a vibrant display of power, before slowly, gradually receding back onto its wielder. It receded further until finally, it settled as an almost thin shield of ki that extended mere inches from its wielder's skin. Dressed in a pair of loose-fitting black sweatpants and white tank-top on his muscular frame, sweat soaking both portions of his clothing as his body simultaneously held the strain of employing the technique he was using, while standing under the intense gravity of the training room.

' _Seems like I've finally got a full mastery over this technique,'_ the figure thought as he slowly released his ki, his muscles somewhat relaxing from the strain of having employed one of the North Kai's most famous techniques.

Straightening himself back to an upright position, he took a moment to stretch and move his limbs, feeling the stiffness alleviate slightly while his joints popped. The strain of the intense gravity in the room still made movement slightly difficult, but no less impossible as he'd made it a point to train from 300-500x the gravity he was accustomed to on his home-world for the past few months he'd been traveling through space.

' _Just like I guessed, gradually training under all of this insane gravity over the past few years has built my body up in a way to drastically reduce the strain from using this technique.'_

Looking over toward the other occupant in the training room, he watched the figure for some time, the being's green skin, pointed ears and dual antennae, an obvious indicator of his alien race. The figure sat in his own, more traditional meditative pose, actually suspended in mid-air, surrounded by his own vivid and powerful white aura, despite the enormously high gravity effect in the room.

' _Kid's so much like Piccolo, it's scary,'_ the space traveler thought as he shook his head, though he had been told by the other Namekians that the silent warrior carried himself more like their former hero, Nail.

Turning away from his other traveling companion to a device located in the center of the training room, the mysterious warrior walked over to its console, the panel displaying the figure, x5 _00._ Pressing down on the bottom of two buttons located toward the right side of the panel, he held it as the number on the panel gradually lowered down to _01_. As the number lowered, the pressure that the figure had been feeling on his body receded in tandem, before subsiding altogether. The invisible weight released from his body was immediately felt, as he let out a sigh before then walking over to a nearby portion of the room. Removing the towel from the hand-bar attached to the wall, he wiped the sweat that poured from his pores.

He could feel the muscles in his body gradually releasing their tension, allowing his movement to become easier and more fluid. After another deep breath and a sigh of release, he tossed the hand towel over one shoulder, walking over to the door which had released its electronic lock once the machine had been lowered back to its original setting. Reaching up with hands calloused over the years he'd spent training and fighting, he pressed a button on the wall near the door.

' _Glad that I've gotten used to training in such high gravity,'_ his lips quirked upward in a barely there smile. ' _At least I'm not accidentally breaking buttons anymore. I'm sure Dr. Briefs will be glad for that, though I'll still have to explain the ship he built being destroyed. Hopefully trading him for this one will square everything.'_

He made his way from the training room to the nearby lavatory, deciding that a long, soaking bath was much needed prior to his arrival back on his home.

' _Home, huh? Sounds so strange to even say, since it hasn't really felt that way even before I left. That, and I've been away for so long.'_

The thought was not entirely strange, given not just the circumstances behind his leaving, as well as the events that took place since his departure. But also due to the actions, he intended to take upon returning to his home world.

' _I don't wanna see any destruction or loss of life because of this, but I'm gonna need every advantage I can get.'_ As this thought crossed his mind, he clenched his fists in resolution, his eyes narrowed in focus as he used a washrag lathered in soap to scrub and bathe his body, cleaning off the sweat and grime that had covered him from his training sessions.

There were so many factors to consider, the two most prominent ones being the two Saiyans who now called his planet their home. Not only had they achieved the highest echelon of power that any mortal being could achieve, that of god-like ki, but they had even received personal instruction under the tutelage of Whis, the angelic being responsible for training Beerus, the fearsome God of Destruction of their universe. And as if that wasn't bad enough, they also had the support of other beings of incredible power, such as demons like Majin Buu, to cybernetic twin androids and even the only living super Namekian. Not to mention other high-level Saiyans as well. Not only was the scale of power virtually insurmountable, but they were also disadvantaged in numbers as well.

' _The three of us have been busting our butts over the past few years to get as strong as we have, and we've defeated guys who were considered monsters themselves,'_ he reflected as he rinsed his body clean, before immersing himself in the bathtub nearby. ' _I'm confident we could last against and defeat the Androids, Buu, or even the other Saiyans. But I got no interest in fighting kids, and none of the things I've done since leaving, or intend to do will amount to anything if I don't fight either of those two.'_

Feeling his muscles finally fully relaxing from the warmth of the bath water, the person tilted his head back and draped a towel over his face, his body sinking further into the water as he reflected on the adventures he'd had, the true friends he'd made, the battles he fought, and the inner struggles and weaknesses he'd overcome.

Yamcha stood off to the side after having watched Goku and the others leave for the Tournament of Power, the shock of being cast aside and left behind short-circuiting his thoughts. Suspended in utter disbelief, he hung his head while his faithful companion, Puar, and the perverted pig Oolong, both tried to console him. Slowly, his brain began working again, posing numerous questions and pondering multiple reasoning in an attempt to try and figure out why out of all his friends was he the only one left behind.

' _I don't understand. I mean, guys like Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo are a given. Anyone would expect those guys to be on the team.'_ He thought as a depressive feeling sank into him, enveloping his entire being, as his eyes focused on the ground in front of him. ' _Kuririn and Tien-Shinhan would be the same, and if Kuririn's goes then obviously 18 is gonna be there as well. But why 17? Even Frieza?! Those guys have never tried to protect anything, they've only tried to destroy things!'_ Tilting his head back to stare up at the night sky, Yamcha continued to ignore the consoling efforts of Puar, while Oolong continued to watch in an odd combination of concern and exasperation. Obviously, the pig didn't think that Yamcha seriously had any desire to fight in the tournament, given how long he'd been out of commission as a fighter. "Come on Yamcha, be serious! They're going to decide the fate of the whole universe! You haven't fought seriously in almost ten years, ever since that Cell tournament ended." The pig shrugged as if his words made all the sense in the world. "They probably thought since you backed out of that last tournament before Buu came along, that you wouldn't want any part of this tournament either. Especially since you haven't had the best of luck in these things."Puar gasped at his fellow shape-shifter's blunt words, the natural instinct to defend his long-time friend and ally. While the floating cat scolded their friend, Oolong defending the legitimacy of his words in return, Yamcha himself felt the crushing weight of the pig's words. The depression that enveloped him constricted even further, like a snake crushing the life out of its prey. In this case, that prey being the heart in his chest.' _Is that true? But that doesn't really make any sense. I mean it's not like Kuririn has ever had any big successes at tournaments. In fact, he'd stopped training just like I had for a while. The only reason he even began training again for the last tournament is that we all knew Goku was coming back to compete for a day, and he knew 18 was looking to compete as well.'_

The former bandit looked back down at the ground in front of him, the bickering of his two companions mere background noise.

' _None of this makes any sense at all! If it's about having not trained in a while, Roshi-sensei should be even more out of practice than I am! And as much as I respect him, he's practically ancient. And Frieza, the guy's done nothing but try to kill everyone and everything in his path. He even blew up the whole planet, I don't get it!'_

As the depressive feeling continued to tighten its grasp, he delved deep inside of himself, hoping to search for some inner refuge from the crushing feeling. But there seemed to be no escape, as the reality of the betrayal by those he considered friends sank in.

Betrayal.

That single word brought about a realization. And with that realization came clarity. With clarity, a separate feeling slowly emerged. Small, at first, as an ember among a pile of kindling. It grew and escalated as it battled back against the depression, igniting other feelings which he had long suppressed.

' _I've been a number of things in my life, some of them good, some of them bad. But I've NEVER been a coward! I fought for this planet, I fought with them, and for them! For Goku! I risked my life and even died, all just to help them fight HIS battles. And they, HE just leaves me behind?'_

As the thought passed through Yamcha's mind, he began reflecting on the actions of those around him. While Goku had never been known for being secretive, he hadn't come out and told him about the tournament either. He'd had to find out, ironically, from overhearing about it at Bulma's party. Along with Tien's aloofness, and Gohan's bout of nerves when Yamcha mentioned being invited to the tournament. All of these things began to put themselves into place, like pieces of a puzzle coming together to form a clearer picture. And he knew, deep within, the true reality of the situation. And that really wasn't just that he was left behind, it was that he was never even considered as a possible member from the very eyes drifted from the ground at his feet to the fists now clenched at his side, and his jaw tightening to the point of being painful, surprising himself at the response his body gave off. As if it recognized both the anguish and hunger welling up inside of him before his mind did, and was responding in kind. Yamcha glanced back around the corner of the wall he was hiding behind, watching as the blue-haired woman continued to watch the sky after everyone had left.' _After everything, I've given, and everything I've lost, are you saying I'm not good enough?'_ He scowled as the question lingered in his mind, transforming the simmering emotions within him into a raging inferno. ' _That's bull-crap! No way I'm gonna take this lying down!'  
_  
Turning his gaze away from his former girlfriend, back to the night sky, his eyes narrowed as his face morphed into a scowl, as an idea, a plan formulated in his mind. His voice was deep, low, and deadly serious as his mind became clear. He knew what he had to do, and addressed the only being he knew could trust to help him.

"Puar," the shape-shifting, floating cat turned from his argument with Oolong at his friend's voice, "are you with me?"

Perplexed by his longtime friend and ally cryptic question, the feline nonetheless nodded in agreement, an easy question considering the pact he'd made with the former bandit years ago.

"Then let's go! We've got some work to do and not a lot of time to do it."Puar frowned, confused by Yamcha's words, but didn't have any time to dwell on them as Yamcha grabbed his friend and leaped from the balcony they had been standing on, taking to the sky at incredible speed. This shocked the shape-shifter, who then could only clutch onto the shirt Yamcha was wearing, holding on for dear life. The grimace on Yamcha's face belied the struggle he was having at maintaining such a speed, an obvious sign of how out of shape he was when it came to utilizing his ki.

' _I can't believe how tough this is! This must be because I haven't trained in so many years, my ki feels like it's literally slipping from my body!'_ He thought as he looked ahead, struggling to maintain his speed through sheer force of will. ' _Still, I should be able to reach the tower fairly soon.'_

True to his inner thoughts, after several minutes of flight, he saw the appearance of the base of Karin's tower. Pressing further, a burst of ki propelled him forward and upward as reached the base, then tilted skyward. Moments later, Yamcha slowed as he reached the balcony, and leaping over the banister to encounter the wise, feline martial arts master as he landed. The cat, having sensed the human's approach, as very few even knew the location of his home, never mind having the flight capability necessary to reach it in such a fashion. Still, while not shocked by the human warrior's arrival, he was nonetheless curious as to what necessitated this particular house call.

After landing, Yamcha approached and bowed to Karin, his tone and mannerism unusually humble in delivery. After all, the feline master was well aware of the human's somewhat cocky reputation.

"Karin-sama, it's good to see you again," he spoke as he offered the traditional martial arts bow, "I'm sorry for appearing so unannounced."

The old martial arts master nodded in acknowledgment, his trusted staff held customarily at his side.

"Yam-chan, good to see you again also. As one of Earth's greatest heroes, you don't have to apologize for showing up so suddenly. Kami knows Goku-chan does it all of the time." He answered in jest. "That said, I must ask what brings you here? I thought you would have joined the others in competing in the universal tournament?"

The feline martial arts master found the human warrior's response to his question very interesting. The grimaced, pained expression on his face spoke volumes to the deity. While he'd heard of the human warrior's decision to retire from fighting, it still baffled him that he hadn't joined his comrades for this tournament. After all, he was confident in saying that the young man wasn't just one of the most powerful warriors on Earth, but within the galaxy as well. Especially since at his zenith, he was leagues above where the Saiyans, Vegeta & Nappa, were when they first arrived on Earth. Even counting the lack of training over the last several years, it was apparent he hadn't allowed himself to fall too far below that level.

' _I couldn't possibly imagine Yam-chan turning down the chance to join his friends in defending the Universe, even after his decision to retire. He's not someone to run from the chance to defend the planet and help his friends, as well as redeem his previous losses.'_ Karin thought as he zeroed his attention back onto the human warrior's response.

"Nah, apparently they decided they didn't need me for this one," he spoke, the response laced with a bitterness that Karin could tell he was trying to hide under a smile.

As if the whole thing were a joke, with a punchline he was still trying to figure out. Deciding it best not to dwell on it too much, the feline master decided to move the conversation along.

"I see, so what brings you here?" He repeated the question, all the while continuing to observe the human warrior's response.

"Well, Karin-sama, I figured with the other guys all busy with the tournament, that I've decided to go on a training journey on my own. I realized that a big part of me, that remembers what it was like to fight beside the guys, hasn't been happy at all with my decision to retire from fighting. I mean, I wasn't even told when Frieza came back here, and now I'm not involved with the tournament at all."

At this, the bitter tone returned, and this time the joking smile he wore only moments before disappeared, in favor of an expression that more belied the frustration he was feeling. Karin was well aware of the old expression, regarding curiosity and the cat. And the young man's explanation, while completely plausible on the surface, certainly had his curiosity peaked as to what training journey he intended to set out upon, and in what manner he thought the feline master might help. Deciding a little bit more information wouldn't hurt, he opted to do a little more fishing.

"Hmm, well I would say that would certainly go quite a ways in helping you out," the talking cat nodded in reply. "Even I can tell just from looking at you, that your strength is much lower compared to where you were a few years ago. So, how can I help you on this journey you seek to take?"

The feline master of martial arts found himself surprised when the human warrior approached a few feet and knelt in front of him, down on one knee, a fist touching the floor while his other arm rested on a bent knee. Head bowed, the one known as the God of Martial Arts was once again shocked at the unheard display of humility. While a bit over the top and uncharacteristic, as it was an action he would usually expect from Krillin, Karin found his curiosity now far surpassing his shock at the human's actions. Further compounded when the man finally spoke his request.

"Karin-sama, I've come to your home, seeking any senzu beans you might have left, please. I know I'll need them on the journey I plan to take."

"Hmm, I see. Unfortunately, I already gave Krillin and the others a few that I had already produced. And as you know, it takes considerable time to grow a new batch." At his response, he watched as the human warrior's face unveiled his frustration, a hangdog look appearing at his words.

"Relax, Yam-chan, I didn't say I gave them _all_ of my beans. I still have some left over," he spoke, as Yamcha's immediately brightened at this news.

"Will you lend them to me, Karin-sama? Even if it's only a few, please!" He bowed his head once again, maintaining the prostrating pose, an ultimate sign of respect toward the 800-year old cat.

Karin observed his former pupil momentarily as if attempting to gauge the severity of his former charge's resolve. Upon meeting the human's gaze, Karin could just as easily see the hunger, and resolve in the warrior's gaze. After moments of this silent stare down, Karin gave a subtle nod, before turning and moving toward a nearby woven basket. Lifting the lid, the feline martial arts master reached in, retrieving the requested items inside of it before turning back toward his former pupil.

"I'm afraid I haven't grown that many, Yam-chan, since the last time I gave some to your friends," he spoke as he placed the items in a small cloth bag. "So a few is only all that I can give."

Yamcha looked toward Karin, smiling in gratitude as he accepted the bag, glancing inside to gauge the number of beans. Counting the number eight, the human warrior pulled on the string, closing the bag. Standing back to his feet, Yamcha once again bowed to the feline master.

"Thank you for this, Karin-sama, I'll be sure to pay you back when I return!" With those parting words, the Human warrior turned and, grabbing his friend Puar, sprinted back toward the edge.

Activating his ki, he leaped over the ledge and once again took off at impressive speed for someone still attempting to shake off the rust. Puar's squeal of shock was the only sound that could be heard over the projection of ki. Karin approached the ledge, looking over as if still seeing the two, even after they had already disappeared beneath the clouds.

' _Good luck on your journey, Yam-chan,'_ he thought as he continued to observe the ki trail that marked the direction that the human had taken.

Yamcha pushed himself once again, his eyes squinting and face scrunched due to the strain of projecting his ki to the degree he was using. In a similar time, as it took for him to arrive at Karin's lookout, he found himself arriving back on the Capsule Corp. property. Extinguishing his ki just before he landed, Yamcha took a moment to look around the moment he touched down. Clutching the bag of senzu beans he held in his hands, Yamcha proceeded to put the next part of his plan into action, drawing on the stealth from his long renounced days as a bandit, as well as his speed developed over the years to seek out and locate the old scientist, Dr. Briefs. Quickly locating the elderly man working on a new device in his workshop, he quietly approached the scientist. Dr. Briefs placed his tool down on the table, stretching as he worked out the kinks in his bones. Yamcha could tell that age was beginning to fully bear down on him, and though things didn't end well between the fighter and his daughter, his respect for the elderly man never wavered.

"Dr. Briefs," The scarred, ex-bandit inclined his head toward the elderly scientist, who casually removed the cigarette from his mouth, extinguishing it before tossing it in a nearby ashtray. "You know those things are gonna kill you one of these days, right?"

"Yamcha my boy! You know, that's exactly what Mrs. Briefs and Bulma have been telling me. But at my age, one cigarette here and there isn't going to make much of a difference now will it?" Yamcha nodded, conceding to the old man's point. "Now, what brings you to my workshop? I thought you'd have departed for that universal tournament, along with the others." The younger man's hangdog expression told the doctor that he'd had a similar presumption.

"No, apparently they decided they didn't need me for this one. So I've actually come to ask a favor of you. Actually a couple of them, for old time's sake." At this, he could tell he had the doctor's attention, as the man squinted at him curiously.

"And what would that be?" Dr. Briefs asked, wondering about the younger man's intentions.

"Would you happen to still have a working spaceship by any chance?" At this, the doctor's face morphed from curiosity to incredulity. However, he quickly masked it, hoping to talk the younger man out of whatever he was planning.

"As a matter of fact, I believe I do. I decided it might be best to have one on standby, ever since that mess with Frieza returning happened. So I rebuilt one of our older models, the one Vegeta destroyed, with some assistance of course. Why on Earth would you want a spaceship?" He asked as he pulled out a carton of cigarettes he always seemed to keep in the inside pocket of his doctor's coat.

"For training," the younger man answered briefly, keeping his answer as short as possible, an action not unnoticed by the elderly scientist.

But what also did not escape the older man's eye, was the look in the eye of his younger counterpart. While he had always been a man of intellect, not one of combat, every man knew that look when he saw it. It was a look universally recognized in any human, a mixture of desperation and determination, of hurt and hunger. To his seasoned eye, it was the look of an animal backed into a corner.

"Alright," Dr. Briefs nodded, agreeing to Yamcha's request. "How soon would you need it?"

"I'd like to have it as soon as possible, preferably before Goku and the others return," the younger man looked down at the floor again. "I honestly just wouldn't rather see them as I am now."

Dr. Briefs studied Yamcha for a few more moments, then finally nodded once again, as if seeing and acknowledging for the first time how truly affected the younger man was by being left out of the universal tournament.

' _You don't feel like you truly belong anymore, do you, Yamcha?'_ The thought passed momentarily, as he realized the former martial artist was speaking again.

"Please, Dr. Briefs," he spoke as he bowed forward, clasping his hands in front of him, "I know my history with you and your daughter didn't end all that great, and you don't owe me anything. But please, just this once, please help me out this one time!"

"Whoa there, my boy! I never said I wouldn't help, and I understand your feelings. So there's no need to beg," he held his hands up in a placating gesture. "And what was your second request?"

At this, Yamcha blinked, momentarily confused at the elderly man's response. Seeing this, Dr. Briefs determined that clarification was in order.

"You mentioned a second request, what is it?" He asked, as the fog of confusion was swept away and recognition dawned.

"I want to borrow the dragon radar," he stated, catching the elderly man off guard for the first time.

"The dragon radar? What do you need that for? The dragon balls are still out of commission, and will be for some time."

"I know that, but just humor me, please?" he requested, his tone final, his eyes resolute.

Dr. Briefs grunted in acknowledgment for a moment, then shuffled over to a desk, once again littered with spare parts and various tools. After rummaging around for a few moments, he finally pulled out a familiar looking item. Shuffling over to the younger man, he stiffly handed over the dragon radar.

"This is an old model, one which we haven't used since the time you all returned from Namek. It could probably use some fine-tuning, so it might not have the pin-point accuracy of the newer model, but it should still work all the same."

Yamcha accepted the item, nodding gratefully at Dr. Briefs, looking at it for a moment as Puar continued to watch silently from his perch on the man's shoulder. Dr. Briefs accepted the nod with one of his own, then turned to pick up the device he had been working on off of the desk and leave the room, gesturing for Yamcha to follow him. The two made their way, albeit at a sedate pace, through the corridors of the Capsule Corporation building, eventually emerging outside on another portion of the property. Ahead of them, Yamcha could see the all too familiar spaceship, branded with the logo of Capsule Corp across the side of it. The two men headed toward the entrance of the ship, where Dr. Briefs pointed to a button near the door. This caused the door to open, and a set of stairs descended downward, stopping once it reached the ground. Yamcha whistled, while Puar looked on in awe, although the ship did appear all that different from the one which he'd watched Vegeta use all those years before. As Yamcha began to make his way into the ship, Dr. Briefs followed him, speaking to him on the way up the stairs leading inside.

"For the most part, the ship still operates the same, however, we've made some improvements to it," Dr. Briefs stated as Yamcha examined the circular inner chamber.

"It looks the same as before," he spoke, unable to discern any differences between this refurbished model and the old one.

"That's because you're only focused on the cosmetics, my boy," the scientist spoke in reply as he shuffled about. "For starters, this ship has been fitted with a more fuel efficient engine and speed adjustment settings, allowing one to choose as to what speed they will travel. At current capacity, I estimate this ship could reach new planet Namek in roughly one and a half month's time while traveling at full speed. Of course, this would also mean that at half speed it would take upwards of three months to reach."

The elderly scientist maneuvered to the ship's control panel, turning to the younger man still standing in the center of the spaceship. Yamcha followed him, still taking in the list of improvements as Dr. Briefs went on to explain the startup process for the ship, and how the destination selection option functioned. As Dr. Briefs revealed the default destination selected for the ship as New Namek, Yamcha turned to face him, a question upon his lips.

"Wait, how can this ship get to new Namek? King Kai never told us where in the galaxy their planet is located." Dr. Briefs nodded, the former martial artists' question a valid one.

"Ah, just one of the many other improvements I've had the chance to make to this ship. One of the many advantages we've gained by having numerous aliens visit our planet is that we've been able to take advantage of not just the technology they brought with them, but the secrets they hold as well. The first ship I built, which Goku used to travel to the former planet Namek, only had the coordinates for that planet installed in it. Mainly because it was a rush job, as Goku needed to get to Namek as soon as possible. However, the space pod that Vegeta first arrived in held the location of many more inhabited planets located throughout the galaxy. This information was later improved upon, after Frieza's most recent return to our planet, providing us with updated information of even more planets, everything from the atmosphere to a description of the native inhabitants, to location, including that of new Namek."

Yamcha nodded in reply, silently glad that he wouldn't have to worry about trying to get the location of New Namek. His original plan had been to try and establish mental contact with King Kai, once he'd left the planet, in order to learn of Namek's location. However, with this detail out of the way, he could now use that request to obtain something else from the Lord of Worlds. Something which he knew he would definitely need in order to obtain the goal he was ultimately seeking to achieve.

"That's great, Dr. Briefs, I had no idea you were able to get so much information. So what else can this ship do?"

"I'm glad you asked my boy," the scientist responded, his voice portraying the excitement of further displaying the improvements he'd made. "The ship also comes with a media system, something which I also wasn't able to include in the first model that Goku used. It comes preloaded with multiple programs, including a training system that features a comprehensive analysis of the fighting styles and techniques of many of your friends. We were able to gain access to that information, compliments of Dr. Gero, when Bulma performed an extensive analysis of Android 16 while she was preparing to remove the explosive device with which he'd been equipped. Another feature we obtained from studying 16's mechanics and programming, is a built-in energy reader, capable of detecting and displaying energy signatures hundreds of times greater than any of those scouter devices used by Frieza's soldiers.

Another program preloaded into the ship's computer, is an information and repair program, that provides detailed analysis of how each piece of equipment and features within the ship operates, as well as simple, step-by-step instruction for making any necessary repairs or modifications to any of the equipment that helps the ship to operate at functional capacity. Like the previous model, it also holds a separate room which acts as the living quarters, containing a bed and a small kitchenette. The room also has storage containers stocked with capsules, which are filled with things such as food, tools, training equipment, and spare clothing designed in exact replicas and sizes of Goku and the others. Overall, there are enough supplies and fuel reserves stored to last up to 5 people for a full year of travel through space."

Yamcha stared in awe, shifting transfixed gazes between the brilliant scientist and his creation. He had to admit, it was like receiving a perfectly timed gift, the ship contained almost everything he would need to succeed in his goal of surpassing his former strength and regaining his standing and respect among those he once called friends. Well, almost everything, as there was one thing the former bandit was seeking to make extensive use of, and which the scientist had yet to mention.

"What about a gravity machine?" Yamcha asked, turning back to the elderly man.

"Oh, of course, it contains a gravity machine as well. A rebuilt version of the one used by Vegeta during his training to fight Dr. Gero's androids, though like the one he currently uses, this one is also capable of simulating an increased gravity environment of up to 500x that of the Earth. The only thing we haven't had a chance to install is this," Dr. Briefs stated as he held up the device he'd carried with him out of his lab.

"What is that supposed to do?" Yamcha, curious as to what was so special about the hand-sized part he clutched.

"This device here is a magnetic stabilizer, and its function is to regulate the magnetic lifters installed within the living quarters of the ship," Dr. Briefs looked at the younger man, seeing the comically lost expression on his face as if the doctor had been speaking an entirely different language. "Well, basically, it acts as the key component that makes the living quarter of the ship exempt from the effects of the gravity machine."

"That's incredible, Dr. Briefs, you've really outdone yourself!" Yamcha turned, giving a bow to the scientist, and receiving a mustache-covered smile in return.

"Dad! Dad, are you out here?" An all too familiar female voice called from outside of the ship, catching the two men's attention. Turning to leave the ship, the elderly man shuffled back over to the stairs.

"Well, I'll leave you to your training, Yamcha, while I go speak with Bulma. I'll let her know you'll be using the ship for a while, so she can assist you if you need anything else." Dr. Briefs spoke as he made his way down the steps of the ship.

"This is great, Yamcha-sama, with this I'm sure you'll be back to fighting form in no time!" Puar spoke, excited both at the idea of his longtime friend regaining his fighting spirit, but also growing stronger in the process. Plus, that would mean they would be hanging out at Capsule Corp for some time, and Puar always managed to have fun and feel at home at the family's home, despite the how the relationship between his friend and the scientist's daughter ended.

Yamcha, however, did not appear to share that same excitement, having a different plan in mind. And he only had a short window to act, as he knew Bulma would make an attempt to stop him once she learned what was going on. But before he could, he needed to make sure he didn't unwittingly drag his longtime friend and companion along unnecessarily.

"Puar, that question I asked you earlier," his words caught the shape-shifter's attention, his tone once again belying his intent. "I'll ask you again, are you with me?"

Puar frowned, confused as to why the former martial artist would ask him such a thing yet again. And while he did not know as to what goal his friend sought to obtain, he knew it was important, and that was ultimately all he needed to know to make himself and his response clear.

"Yamcha-sama, do you remember the pledge I made to you, all those years ago?" Puar asked in response.

Yamcha's face scrunched in thought, attempting to recall what pledge his friend was referencing. After a moment of thought, he was able to recall only one pledge ever made between the two throughout their years together. It was a fleeting memory, barely revived from the deepest recesses of his mind, but a memory that was no less important. One that invoked the image of a much younger man, bumping into an equally young shape-shifter who had just returned from shape-shifting school, within the woods surrounding a remote village. Bonded together by the tragic deaths of their loved ones, brought about by the betrayal of rival schools. And the words were spoken that cemented an unbreakable bond of friendship.

' _Then, in the tradition of my forefathers, I pledge myself to you, heir of Urufu-Ryu, from this day forth. To whatever fate!'_

Seeing recognition dawn on the face of his friend, and the genuine smile of gratitude which followed it, Puar knew he didn't need to speak the words again.

"Thanks again, Puar! Now let's get going!" Yamcha stated as he turned and walked back over to the ships operating the console.

"Going?" Puar questioned, now even more curious just as to what the martial artist was talking about.

His curiosity was soon sated in startling fashion, as Yamcha pressed the series of buttons Dr. Briefs had just shown him moments before. Suddenly, the ship itself seemingly sprung to life as a mechanized voice announced the startup procedure. Puar's startled look then turned to a comically panicked one as the door to the ship began closing.

"Yamcha-sama! What's going on? Why did you start up the ship?! I thought you were going to be training," He asked, only to be met with the determined gaze of his friend.

"Haven't you been listening Puar? I told Karin-sama we're going on a training journey, just one that's gonna take us from here for a while," he stated, smiling in a reassuring manner at his friend. "I promise, we'll come back here someday soon!"

At his last statement, both the friends had their attention returned to the ship, as the mechanized voice announced its launch. Realizing too late that they had not prepared by strapping themselves into the chairs nearby, the two were jerked off of their feet as the ship began its ascent into the sky. The two tumbled backward and into a while on the other side of the ship opposite the panel, flattening against it as the pressure from the takeoff continued to build. Outside, a fuming Bulma and shocked Dr. Briefs were equally startled at the shift launching into space.

"Yamcha! Get back here with our ship this instant!" Bulma screeched, pumping a fist at the flying object as if the martial artist were capable of hearing her over the sound of takeoff.

Back on the ship, Yamcha and Puar finally managed to right themselves, as the pressure finally began to lessen as the shift left Earth's atmosphere, entering the vacuum of space. Standing upright, and mutually rubbing their heads, the two turned toward each other, as Yamcha spoke.

"Alright, Puar, let's get this show on the road!" He stated as he turned toward the device in the middle of the room.

 _To Be Continued…._


	2. Pain Into Power

**Dragon Ball Oblivion: The Lone Wolf Saga  
Chapter 2 – Pain Into Power  
by: Shisoukengo**

 _All his life he's been told, he'll be nothing when he's old_

 _All the kicks and all the blows, he won't ever let it show_

 _Cause he's stronger than you know, a heart of steel starts to grow_

 _When you've been fighting for it all your life_

 _You've been struggling to make things right_

 _That's how a superhero learns to fly_

 _Every day, every hour, turning pain into power_

After beginning his trek into space, and getting over his momentary disorientation of takeoff, Yamcha and Puar both spent the first couple of hours of their journey exploring the ship. While the upper deck of the ship contained little hidden, due to it being mostly a wide open space, the duo spent some time using the ship's media and information program. Studying the various ways in which the ship operated, as well as the devices it contained, both Yamcha and Puar found their respect for the old scientist heightened even further than it already was, due to the level of detail and work involved in putting it all together. One program the ship had, as mentioned by Dr. Briefs description of the ship's capabilities, was its energy-reader, which had Yamcha's curiosity peaked ever since the old scientist mentioned it. Pressing the required button pattern, Yamcha decided to satisfy his curiosity, before beginning his training. Entering in the command sequence, Yamcha and Puar once again heard the ship's mechanized voice come to life.

" _Energy-reader sequence initiated, scanning nearby life forms."_ The duo waited as the ship's computer whirred to life, beeping as it performed the designed function. " _Scan complete. Energy readings listed from lowest to highest as followed, 10."_ At this Puar startled, surprised by the knowledge that he was twice as strong as a normal adult human.

"It must be because of my shape-shifting training," Puar speculated, even as he and Yamcha exchanged awkward laughs.

" _Second energy reading,"_ the duo waited in anticipation, eager to discover Yamcha's own results. " _50,000."_

The duo once again found themselves shocked by the readings, though for different reasons. While Puar was extremely happy to hear his friend still had so much strength, despite having not trained for so many years. Yamcha, however, found himself disappointed in what he inwardly knew was well below what the others possessed.

"Amazing, Yamcha-sama! You're still so strong even after all of these years!" Puar spoke, his smile turning to a frown at the lack of exuberance from his long-time friend. Yamcha did not speak, instead simply nodding his acceptance.

"Yamcha-sama?" the shape-shifter asked, concern evident in his voice, only to be met with a look of determination from the fighter.

"Yeah, it is amazing Puar. But think about where I likely was when we took on Cell!" The former bandit raised his eyes from the ground as if having had enough of looking down on himself.

Once they felt they had a solid grasp of everything, Puar suggested they check out the lower deck, since much of their daily routine would be performed there. After searching through the ship's living quarters, the pair discovered the ship had indeed been well stocked. Everything from food to personal hygiene items was stored in what turned out to be many storage capsules held within the ship. A cache of five of them, in particular, held very interesting items, five one-size fits all vests with straps on each side, capable of tightening to adjust to an individual's frame. The vest was also lined with multiple slots, each capable of holding an individual object of similar size and shape, with straps set on top of each slot in order to secure whatever objects are placed inside.

Expandable bracers were also discovered along with the vests as well, designed to fit around each arm and leg, and also holding multiple slots as well. Along with modified training apparel, were also numerous sets of weights, each customized to fit into each of the individual slots on the vests and bracers. Quickly figuring out that the weights were designed to fit inside each of the slots on the vests and bracers, Yamcha excitedly filled each of the slots, before donning the training apparel. Tightening the straps on each side of a vest he wore, as well as slipping on bracers on each of his shins and wrists, Yamcha stood as he flexed his muscles, getting himself accustomed to the weight.

' _10 pounds on each wrist and ankle, 100 pounds on the vest, this should be just like the training I went through at Kami's,'_ Yamcha thought as he tested his movements, feeling his body quickly adjust itself to the additional weight. ' _After that training, and training at Kaio-sama's planet, wearing these things is nothing.'_

Throwing a few experimental kicks and punches, Yamcha looked down at his clenched fist, no longer feeling the pull of the weighted apparel.

' _Maybe I should try doing both at the same time,'_ Yamcha contemplated as he looked at the ladder that led back to the main portion of the ship, where the gravity machine was located. ' _But first, I should get warmed up, just to shake the rust off._ '

Looking at his ever faithful friend, Yamcha finally laid out his plan.

"Alright Puar, I'm gonna head back upstairs for some warm-up exercise, before I get into some serious training. Are you going to hang out down here, or join me upstairs?" He asked.

"I'll go with you upstairs, Yamcha-sama," Puar announced, his tiny arms curling in front of him.

"Ummm, ok, but I'll warn you, I'm gonna start the serious training soon afterward. That means using the gravity machine Dr. Briefs built, so it'll get pretty rough at that point."

Puar nodded, but his decision remained regardless. Seeing this, Yamcha nodded as well, acknowledging the shape-shifter's resolve, and together the pair made their way back up the ladder to the training room. Deciding it best to ease himself back into things, since it had been so many years since he'd last trained seriously, the martial artist started off with his usual stretching and warm-up routine. As an athlete in any sport will tell you, while the human body has proven to be undoubtedly resilient, it will certainly begin to slowly break down over time, as age and attrition take their respective tolls. And the sport of baseball was no exception, even if it were less physically demanding than combat, mainly due to the fact that a single baseball season lasts for at least eight months out of the year. Requiring long bouts of sprinting, jumping, and in his position as a pitcher, high-velocity rotations of his shoulders, the sport took its own pound of flesh as well.

As someone who had frequently taken long hiatus away from the sport in his youth, to engage in physical combat with other super-powered beings no less, this meant that it was even more so for Yamcha. And while years of physical training had strengthened his body to withstand this to some degree, it didn't stop age from catching up to him. Therefore, the former bandit eventually discovered he needed an edge, something that would help prolong his athletic career. Initially, he'd trained himself to be an effective pitcher with both arms, in order to lessen the cumulative wear and tear on his dominant arm.

However, that only worked for so long, and Yamcha knew he'd need something more. It was outside the box thinking that led him to try Yoga and later, Isometrics, and the athlete was shocked to discover, after a few months' time, that daily routines of this over time had essentially lengthened his career. To the point that even his fellow players and coaches acknowledged that he played more like he was closer to his 30's, rather than his 40's. And it was also why he'd continued to be one of the highest paid athletes in the world over the past few years, enough so that he could support himself for at least two lifetimes.

Since then, the former bandit had incorporated these workouts into his daily regimen, intent on keeping his muscles flexible and pliable, while allowing them to maintain their strength and dexterity over the years. Slowly progressing through his stretches and warm-ups, Yamcha then proceeded to re-familiarize himself with his old style, _Rogafufuken_ , the Wolf Fang Fist. Still wearing the weighted apparel he'd discovered, the martial artist began progressing through the familiar kata, starting slowly as if attempting to remind himself of the intricacies of the style. It took a little bit of time, as little as half an hour, but the fighter found himself performing the strikes with blinding speed, moving and shifting through stances with little to no encumbrance.

' _I'm pretty sure at this point, that everyone probably thinks that I've just been doing nothing other than playing baseball all these years,'_ he pondered as he continued through his stretches and warm-ups. ' _They forget that being an athlete, and being a fighter isn't all that far apart. Both require peak physical conditioning, and almost no one is more consistent in maintaining that than I am! I may not go to the extremes like Vegeta or Piccolo, but I'm certainly no Yajirobe when it comes to training.'_

By the time he decided to take a break, the fighter was surprised to realize that over an hour had passed. After a brief rest, in which he once again repeated his stretches and warm-ups to keep himself loose and his blood flowing. During this time, Puar quietly supported his friend by retrieving a bottle of water, and a towel to wipe himself of sweat. Afterward, Yamcha prepared to continue his training, this time under the familiar environment of enhanced gravity.

"Alright, Puar, I'm about to turn on the gravity machine. It's going to get rough from here," he stated as if warning his friend.

"Yamcha-sama, I told you, I'm with you. I can handle it," Puar responded, absolutely sure of himself.

Yamcha nodded once again, in response, thanking his long-time friend and ally for his continued support. Moving over to the gravity device in the middle of the room, he tapped on the buttons, entering the series of commands to start up the machine. Deciding to start with something familiar, Yamcha pressed the button necessary to set the gravity level.

' _I'll start at the same level as on Kaio-sama's planet, then make my way up from there,'_ the martial artist thought to himself. ' _Come to think of it, although I've done both weight and gravity training, I've never done both at the same time. Maybe I should try it, to get the most out of my training. After all, if I'm going to have any hope of catching up to Goku and the others, I've gotta push myself harder than ever!'_

Once the gravity limit was set, the device kicked on, the air seemingly growing heavier as the environment gradually became more oppressive. While the duo were both caught off guard by the change in gravity, Yamcha was able to respond more favorably. Having trained in this type of gravity before he was able to adjust relatively quickly, and in the span of an hour, the martial artist soon began moving along more fluidly. Puar, however, was not faring so well, having never felt anything close to it before. The floating shape-shifter found himself on the floor, and unable to levitate as was his usual means of getting around, instead of being restricted to slowly crawling along the floor.

"Puar, are you okay? I can skip the gravity training for today until we figure something out." Yamcha spoke, concerned for the well being of his friend. After all, he was well aware of how tough this amount of gravity was, and he'd practically been a thousand times stronger than Puar when he'd first attempted it on Kaio's planet.

"N-no, Y-Yamcha-sama! I-I'll b-be fine," Puar responded his will power the only thing keeping him going at this point. ' _Yamcha-sama is looking to regain his old self after all this time. He's even risked his friendship with Bulma-san to do it. I can't be the one who holds him back now!'_

Seeing Puar's determination, Yamcha decided to believe in his friend, the same way the shape-shifter believed in him. He then proceeded to repeat the kata of his old style, having decided that rather than continue to rely solely on that of the Turtle style, part of his journey would focus on further developing the Wolf Fang Fist. After a few more hours repetitive strikes and movements in the _Rogafufuken,_ Yamcha could feel a different weight pulling at him, one of exhaustion. Puar, by this point, had finally gotten to a point where he was capable of levitating for a brief amount of time. However, the shape-shifter could also feel himself becoming more tired as well.

' _Guess now is as good a time to stop as any. After all, it was already night time by the time we left Earth,'_ Yamcha thought as he trudged his way over to the gravity machine. Pressing the button on the device, he lowered the gravity back down to x1, and immediately felt the pull of gravity lessen to the familiarity of their home planet.

"I'm guessing since we're obviously still here, that means Goku and the others won the tournament," Yamcha spoke as toweled the sweat off his face and neck.

Puar, once again unencumbered by the effects of ten times gravity, plopped himself onto his friend's shoulders, mumbling in agreement as he breathed heavily. Yamcha grinned at his friend, reaching over to wipe sweat from the shape-shifter as well. The duo then made their way back to the lower deck of the ship, deciding that a bath, meal, and sleep were on deck. Going through the old familiar routine, the pair soon found themselves fresh, fed, and ready for sleep. For Puar, even though the gravity had been rough, he'd enjoyed this time alone with his friend.

' _It feels like we're back to the old days when we were living in the desert, just us two,'_ he thought as he reflected on their days as desert bandits.

While that lifestyle certainly did nothing to enhance their reputation, it was a time when they only had each other to rely on. And just as important, a time when his friend still hungered to achieve his goals. For Puar, it was a return to days past, one which he didn't even know he'd missed, and was ultimately happy to be a part of again. For Yamcha, his thoughts found themselves drifting back to those he called friends, on Earth. The more he thought about them, the more he thought about what all they had experienced in the survival tournament. And the more he thought about that, the more his resentment toward being excluded from the team grew, especially toward the two he knew had the most input on deciding its members.

' _I still can't believe Goku and the others would cast me aside like that! I thought they were my friends, that I had at least, if nothing else, earned their respect.'_ His thoughts continued to churn, spurring on the negative emotions that lay dormant within him. ' _Guess risking my life and fighting by their side all these years meant nothing to them. And if I know Goku like I think I do, I'm sure he's grown a heck of a lot stronger, even in just forty-five minutes!'_

The fighter stared up at the ceiling, cloaked in the darkness of the ship as Puar drifted off to sleep in the bed beside him. Placing a hand over his face, he silently continued to engage his thoughts.

' _Maybe I overreacted, maybe I should turn around and head back. After all, Oolong did have a point, I'd kept my head down for the most part during that whole thing with Majin Buu. So much so, that I didn't even raise a fuss about two little kids being relied on to fight for us. Heck, I couldn't even be bothered to sign up for that tournament, just because I was afraid I would embarrass myself. Even though I knew I had gotten at least a little bit stronger during those years.'_

His eyes shut in a frown of embarrassment, as he thought back to that time, how he'd just sat back and quietly, cowardly, waited for Buu to find and kill them. His face morphed in disgust as he remembered even Krillin being willing to confront the monster, later on in the Otherworld, when the demon was much weaker than it had been previously. Even when he'd just been sparring pretty evenly with Krillin moments before that.

' _What have I been doing all this time?!'_ However, all of that resentment, anger, and disgust simply spurred him onward, as if to remind him of what fate awaited him, should he choose to turn back now.

' _No, none of that matters! I'd EARNED my spot on that team, definitely over guys like #17 and Freeza!'_ He thought as he once again committed himself on his journey. ' _I'll definitely come back! And when I do, I won't just be stronger than I am now, I'll be stronger than anyone! I'll make them see it was a mistake to count me out.'_

Yamcha eventually drifted into slumber, mentally prepared to thrust himself into his training upon awakening. Several hours later, after cleaning himself up and an oddly quiet meal between the two companions, Yamcha once again went through his warm-up and stretching routine, then activated the gravity machine and began training. However, Puar noticed a stark difference between the training his friend had engaged in earlier and the training he was undergoing now. Although he had started back at times ten gravity, Yamcha threw himself even harder into his current training session than he did the previous one.

With the Capsule Corp weight apparel attached to his body again, Yamcha once again began performing the basic kata of his Rougafufuken to an extreme degree. While Puar once again initially had trouble adapting to the higher level of gravity, he found himself surprised at being able to adapt to it sooner. After three hours of continuous wolf fang fist training, Yamcha took an hour-long break, in which he and Puar each had a drink of water from the many bottles stored on the ship. After their break, the martial artist surprised the shape-shifter by increasing the gravity to times twenty. Once again, both occupants felt the pull of the increased gravity, with Yamcha now engaging in strength building exercises of pull-ups, push up, sit-ups and squats. Puar, meanwhile, once again began the process of adapting to the change in gravity by simply moving around, this time walking around on the ground rather than floating.

The two companions would repeat this process over and over, eventually settling into a routine over the next four days of their journey. By the fifth day of their journey, Yamcha was once again hours into training, now at fifty times gravity. However, Puar quietly began to notice that with every increase in the ship's gravity, it began getting harder and harder for the shape-shifter to adapt. Rather than inform his longtime friend of this, Puar chose to keep silent about his difficulties.

' _I can't tell Yamcha-sama about this. I don't want to get in his way! He's challenging himself to surpass his old self, and has regained his hunger to train.'_ Puar thought from his position nearby, as he watched his friend, who had shed his gi and now wore just the weighted vest and a shirt underneath. ' _But if I continue doing this, I'll be hurt myself, and that would disrupt Yamcha-sama's training also.'_

Puar continued to watch silently as his friend performed push-ups while upside down, sweat dripping from his face as he grimaced under the exertion of training at a much higher level of gravity than he was ever accustomed. Instead of performing the strength-building exercise in the typical fashion of having his palms flat on the ground, the martial artist performed them on the tips of his fingers. Making the exercise that much more difficult to perform, under what was clearly an already insane level of gravity.

' _I have to figure out a way around this so that Yamcha-sama can reach his full potential.'_ The shape-shifter frowned, devoting his thoughts to solving this dilemma, as he knew Yamcha would stop raising the level of gravity or even lower it all together.

Yamcha, meanwhile, continued performing the exercise he was currently engaged in, with a timer nearby counting seconds into minutes. His face screwed up in both concentration and determination, as he continued to focus to push both his mind and his body against the high gravity environment of the ship.

' _Gotta….keep….pushing,'_ he thought as the muscles in his arms bulged, veins prominent as his body lowered, then raised under the exertion of his arms. His mind, in an attempt to distract itself from the pain and exhaustion it was fighting, began thinking of his friends, and the experiences they must have gained from the tournament.

' _I'm sure Goku, and likely Vegeta as well, have probably gained some new type of power.'_ Sweat continued to drip down his face, a small puddle forming underneath him. ' _Gohan, Piccolo,#17 and Freeza have probably been showing off as well, and knocking enemies off left and right.'_

With every thought of the tournament, his mind fought against the pain in his muscles and joints. With every speculation of his friends' actions, his body exerted itself against the 50x level of gravity it labored under. And with every constant reminder that he wasn't there, he nurtured the resentment and determination he felt to continue to push himself. Eventually, the nearby timer finished its countdown, and a ringing alarm sounded throughout the ship. This caused Yamcha to drop out of his exercise position, taking the time to catch his breath, before moving over to the gravity machine and lowering the gravity back to its default level of one.

As the gravity lessened, he felt the muscles in his body loosen and relax, though the pain if now lessened, still remained. Flexing his fingers, and stretching the tired muscles, Yamcha took the opportunity to reflect on his current level of training.

' _I've made pretty good progress so far, being able to move from 10x to 50x gravity in just a few days' time. I should be able to start training at 60x gravity by tomorrow since my body has almost adjusted to the 50x level. But it looks like my age is starting to catch up to me because it's taking me much longer to do it than it did when training at the lower levels. I haven't had to dip into the senzu beans Korin-sama gave me yet, but it looks like I might have to take one after today.'_ His internal reverie was soon cut off by a sound from the ship's other occupant nearby.

"Yamcha….sama…" Puar squeaked before suddenly collapsing after being freed from the higher gravity level.

"Puar!" The former bandit raced over to his unconscious friends, lifting the shape-shifting animal into his arms.

Ignoring the strain in his muscles and ligaments, he made his way down to the spacecraft's lower level, where he deposited his friend onto the bed. Grimacing under the strain of his limbs, his eyes searched around before finding the objects he was searching for. The bag of senzu beans sat on a table near the containers that housed many of the storage capsules which contained all of the items for their daily care. Reaching within the back, Yamcha dug out a senzu bean, observing it closely before turning toward Puar. It was obviously reflected in his friend's face, the amount of pain he had endured while the martial artist trained.

' _I know I need to try and save as many of these as I can, at least until I can get to Namek,'_ he thought as he returned to his friend's side. ' _Still, Puar has really proven to be tough, he endured all of that gravity, just so I can keep training.'_

Taking in the small frame of his closest friend, Yamcha made a decision, one he hoped would work well enough for now. Taking the bean between both hands, Yamcha broke the bean into two separate pieces, leaning down to the shape-shifter.

"Here Puar, eat this, you should start feeling better right away," Yamcha stated as he helped his friend sit up, feeding him one half of the healing item.

He waited until Puar finished chewing, before popping the second half into his mouth. He immediately noticed the change that occurred in Puar, as his smaller frame immediately relaxed, the muscles actually bulging out slightly as fibers were healed almost instantly. After swallowing his own piece of the mystical item, Yamcha experienced similar effects on his own body, immediately feeling relief from the strain that previously afflicted him. He also felt his hunger dissipate and noticed Puar sit up, smiling in wonder as he marveled at the miraculous recovery of his own, much smaller body. Yamcha smiled as his the shape-shifter moved his limbs around, testing them for any signs of pain. Upon finding none, he immediately floated upward, noticing the second difference in his body as he landed on his customary spot on the martial artist's shoulder.

"Glad to see you're feeling better buddy," Yamcha stated as he ruffled Puar's head, his face suddenly morphing into a saddened expression. "I'm sorry that you got hurt because of me. I got so caught up in trying to get as much out of my training as I could, I didn't stop to think at all that you would obviously be hurting."

Puar frowned at the dejected look on his friend's face as he chastised himself, having been afraid of this exact situation occurring. Shaking his head, Puar responded, hoping to alleviate his friend's concern.

"It's okay, Yamcha-sama. It was my choice to come with you on this journey, and I told you I will be okay," Puar spoke, however, his attempt at reassurance didn't have the desired effect he'd hoped.

"No Puar, I can't ask you to come along on a journey I insisted on, and then ignore your suffering now that you've come with me." He looked from his friend to the upper level of the ship. "I don't need to go any higher in gravity, for now, we can wait until we reach Namek."

"No! Yamcha-sama, I can't allow you to do such a thing! You've finally regained your will to train, and have been working hard to rival and surpass the others. I can't be the one to get in your way," the shape-shifter spoke with fervor. "I'll figure out a way around this, I promise you!"

Yamcha nodded but did not appear to share his partner's optimism in figuring out a resolution to their dilemma. However, while Puar was determined to ensure he did not hinder his friend's progress, Yamcha was equally as determined to not sacrifice the health and safety of his friend for his own gains.

"Tell you what, Puar, let's relax from training for now. Besides, there are other ways for me to become stronger, without using the gravity device," he offered. Puar nodded again, but still frowned, upset at the prospect of his concern for getting in the way of the martial artist's goal seemingly coming true.

After refreshing himself and donning a change of clothes, the two made their way back up the upper level of the ship. Engaging the ship's media program once again, both seemingly attempted to distract themselves from the first stumbling block they found themselves confronted with. Using it, Yamcha decided to study the video recordings Dr. Briefs and Bulma were able to glean from the programming of Android #16. Having been present for Goku's fight against Piccolo, he instead chose to settle on one which he had missed out on. Watching Goku's domination of the Saiyan, Nappa, followed by the much more competitive battle against Vegeta. Although the footage was not overly long, the martial artist turned athlete was able to not only to see the development of his oldest friend's fighting style but the revelation of a technique he'd only heard about. And one in which King Kaio had neglected to teach to him, Tien, and Chiaotzu.

' _That kaio-ken technique is really impressive. It even allowed Goku to take on a guy like Vegeta, who was clearly much stronger than he was then,'_ Yamcha thought, before frowning as another revelation set in. ' _Kaio-sama really stilted us by not teaching us that technique. How much stronger could we have been with it? How many enemies would we have been better prepared to fight?'_ The thought fueled the martial artist's resentment even further, as it now appeared that even the deities themselves favored his Saiyan friend.

' _I could understand it when they both trained under Whis-sama since both of them reached a god transformation at that point,'_ he thought, as he replayed the footage again and again. ' _But with Kaio-sama, it should've been different. He accepted us as students too, and all four of us even asked for harder training than what Goku received. So why didn't Kaio-sama offer to teach us this kind of technique?'_

After studying the footage over and over, and hoping to take his mind off of this new revelation, Yamcha then sat in a meditative pose as he utilized a technique that he'd learned during his training under Kami. Image training is a skill that is uniquely different from active sparring, utilizing a form of meditation to imagine the individual fighting against an imaginary person. While typical meditation was meant to center a person's mind, and grant the individual a heightened awareness, image training was more to sharpen a person's mind in preparation for combat. Picturing his opponent as his friend and fellow kame student, Goku, Yamcha closed his eyes and envisioned himself engaging the Saiyan in combat. While the martial artist invoked this particular training exercise, a despondent Puar once again mused sadly over the prospect of hindering his friend's training.

' _I must think of a way I can solve this problem because I don't want to be the reason Yamcha-sama can't do his best!'_ Puar thought, mulling his thoughts over and over as he tried to come up with a means to solve their training dilemma.

An hour passed, then another, before Yamcha finally opened his eyes, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath in the process. Puar noticed as well, and suspended his own thoughts, having not been able to come up with a solution.

"Alright Puar, what do you say we take a little break for now eh? There's gotta be something we can do on this ship that doesn't involve me training right?"

"Mm, I'm fine with that, Yamcha-sama. But are you sure it's okay? You've been making such good progress over the past few days," Puar asked, knowing without being told that Yamcha's suggestion was likely a means to delay putting off his training, while not having the shape-shifter feel bad about it.

"Yeah, I have, and honestly that's why I'm suggesting taking a break," he answered with a nod. "I thought it'd have taken me longer to for my body to adjust to anything above 20x gravity since I've only trained at 10x Earth's gravity at Kaio-sama. However, I guess all of that weight training I did in those three years afterward helped strengthen my body more than I knew."

Puar didn't attempt to argue further, and together, the two friends once again used the ship's media program, this time in order to find something to entertain themselves. After scrolling through the shows stored in the ship's computer, the two settled on a nature program dedicated to deducing the strongest animals in nature, watching two then three episodes in succession. As they listened to the dialogue describe the daily habits of a beetle-like insect, Puar slowly came to an epiphany. He smiled to himself as Yamcha sat beside him, watching the program in a detached manner.

"I've got it, Yamcha-sama!" Puar excitedly announced, throwing up his arms and startling his traveling companion in the process.

"Got what Puar?" Yamcha asked, confused by what his friend meant by his proclamation.

"I figured out a way I can possibly grow accustomed to the high gravity while you train," Puar stated, eager to confirm if his theory would pan out.

"Really?" Yamcha asked, slowly sharing in the shape-shifter's excitement. "That's great, how about we finish this show, and then we can see if your idea works."

Puar nodded in agreement, and together the two friends relaxed back into their show. Once finished, Yamcha once again donned his training gear, before moving toward the gravity machine. Looking back at his friend, the martial artist wore an expression of apprehension, as he questioned the shape-shifter's decision.

"You sure you wanna go through with this Puar? I can still get in some pretty good training at the lower gravity levels, and move to higher levels once we reach Namek." His suggestion caused Puar to frown, who readily restated his determination to see his idea to fruition.

"Of course I'm sure, Yamcha-sama! I've already told you, I won't get in the way of your training. You've been working so hard since we left Earth, and even I can tell you've made a lot of progress. I want to see you become as strong as you can, so no one will ever ignore you again."

Yamcha smiled at his friend, once again grateful for his support, and amazed at his resolve.

"Alright, let's try out your plan then," he stated. Puar nodded, shouting the word _transform!_ as his, he activated his shape-shifting abilities. In a puff of smoke, the floating cat had changed into a beetle-like insect, one the martial artist had recognized from the nature show they had just finished watching.

"Why have you transformed into a bug Puar?" Yamcha asked, confused at his friend's plan.

"It's not just any bug, Yamcha-sama, it's a Rhinoceros beetle," Puar stated as if expecting Yamcha to understand his plan. However, seeing only further confusion, Puar went on to explain. "Mou, you probably weren't paying much attention to that show we were watching. The Rhinoceros beetle is said to be one of the strongest animals on Earth, and can lift up over 800 times their own body weight!"

Hearing this, Yamcha was shocked by that information, his face transitioning from surprise to excitement as the brilliance of his friend's idea finally sunk in.

"I see, then that means that you should be able to handle 50x gravity with no sweat," the martial artist pumped his fist in adulation as he congratulated his friend on his ingenuity, "awesome idea, Puar!"

Turning back to the machine, Yamcha felt renewed with hope and energy at the prospect of being able to go further in his training, without risking the health of his friend. Inputting the necessary button commands, Yamcha once again raised the gravity level back up to 50x the normal setting but resisted training right away in order to check on his friend. However, both were pleasantly surprised to find that other than a slight grunt, Puar was able to withstand the higher gravity level with much greater ease than he had before. He even proved this by showing he could still move around the floor of the training room relatively easy. Comfortable in the knowledge that his friend would not be at risk of hurting himself within the higher gravity, for the time being, Yamcha once again engaged in his training with renewed vigor.

After supper and some sleep several hours later, the two partners repeated their new routine, Puar transforming into his Rhinoceros beetle transformation and settling somewhere nearby. Meanwhile, Yamcha increased the gravity level to 60x normal, having sufficiently adjusted his body to handle the previous level. However, unlike the levels prior, the martial artist eventually discovered himself unable to master the heightened level of gravity, even after three breaks and four hours of solid training in between. Unwilling to give up, the martial artist decided that six days of gravity training was enough for now, and decided to use the following day for rest once again.

That didn't mean the human warrior simply sat around. When he and Puar weren't entertaining themselves with a television show or movie stored in the ship's computer or playing a card game of some kind (which Puar winning often much to Yamcha's chagrin), the martial artist would frequently make use of the ship's media system. Not just reviewing footage of each of his fellow fighters, but also continuing further study of the ship, or even attempting to learn the Namekian language.

' _Dr. Gero definitely did a thorough job of researching each of our fighting styles and techniques. No wonder he and the other Androids were so confident they could take us out,'_ he thought as this time he focused his attention on Vegeta.

This was followed by hours more image training and then meditation, once again finding himself coming up short in his image training session. However, this only spurred the wolf fang fist user to continue to push himself in his training. The following week was much of the same, with Yamcha continuing to train at 60x gravity in three four hour training sessions, with a one to two-hour long break in between each session. Precipitated by an hour of stretching and warm-ups, then ending with the same. After three days of such training, the martial artist found himself well adjusted to the gravity level and moved to increase the level of gravity to 70x normal the following day. Although the strain placed on his body was still present, Yamcha discovered his new routine of frequent breaks helped enable his body to hold up despite his age. After another three days, his body was once again able to adjust, able to move relatively freely through the harsh gravity.

On the seventh day of that second week, the harsh gravity levels had once again caught up with him, his muscles and joints once again feeling the pain of his training. To help facilitate his recovery, Yamcha once again took a senzu bean, splitting in half and consuming one half of it, then stashing the other half back into the bag Korin gave him.

' _I know eating a whole senzu bean will help me recover faster and more fully, but it'll probably be a good idea for me to save as many of these as I can,'_ he thought, feeling the ache throughout his body slowly fade away.

Puar fared much better, thanks to his idea of transforming into the incredibly strong insect, only experiencing slight soreness in his appendages. A full day of food and rest, as well as the use of flotation ability to move around throughout the day, enabled the shape-shifter to recover significantly by the following day. This pattern repeated itself in the days and weeks that followed, and by near the end of his first month in space, the martial artist had managed to reach 100x gravity. Although he had been able to move through 60x, 70x, then 80x and 90x gravity levels in a span of roughly three days each, he found it got progressively harder as he went further. He soon found himself needing all six days of training to adjust sufficiently at 100x gravity afterward.

It was on the sixth day of his fourth week of training, with Yamcha in his third round of training for that day, that the martial artist and Puar, in his customary Rhinoceros beetle transformation, found themselves faced with their first emergency situation. Pushing through the strikes of his customary fighting style, as he dashed around the room, a series of beeps from the ship's computer caught the occupants' attention.

" _Warning! Warning! Numerous objects of varying sizes detected ahead, collision is imminent. Emergency countermeasures recommended!"_

Stopping immediately in his training, the human fighter gingerly made his way over to the gravity device, lowering it back to its normal level. After taking a few moments to allow his body to adjust, the martial artist maneuvered to the ship's main computer terminal. Looking through the clear visor that afforded them a view of space, Yamcha and Puar were both shocked to see their ship approaching what appeared to be an asteroid field.

"Crap! This is bad, according to what we've learned about the ship, it's radar function is designed to map out the best course that allows us to travel through space without crashing headlong into a planet, or getting caught in a star's gravitational field and pulled in. But it doesn't have any weapons installed we can use in order to bust through a bunch of space rocks," Yamcha cursed, taking in the emergency countermeasures the ship recommended.

"So what can we do, Yamcha-sama?" Puar queried, once again back in his normal form now that the gravity had been reduced.

"Well, according to this, it says we can select another algorithm that will change the course of our journey. If we did, we could avoid this and still reach Namek," Yamcha replied.

"If, Yamcha-sama?" Puar questioned, noticing by the tone and expression of his companion that this suggestion didn't seem all too appealing.

"Yeah, for one, it would cause us to have to take longer to get to Namek. Which wouldn't be so bad itself, except the area of space we'd have to travel through is largely unmapped. Even with the ship's radar system, we could wind up flying into something worse." Yamcha informed his companion, his fist clenched as he cursed in apparent frustration.

"But if we don't do something, those asteroids might destroy our ship and us," Puar reminded him.

Thinking for a few moments longer, the martial artist came up with an idea he was certain his partner would consider a radical one. Still feeling the effects of his training on his muscles, Yamcha moved toward a nearby compartment. Opening it and removing the spacesuit located inside, he ignored the discomfort in his body as he donned the apparel. Puar watched on, his concern growing more by the moment as the spaceship continued barreling toward the field of space debris.

"What are you going to do, Yamcha-sama?" Puar asked.

"There's only one way for us to get through this, and on to Namek safely," he spoke as he finished securing himself within the suit. "It's time to put my training to the test, I'm gonna bust us through those rocks," Yamcha spoke, flashing a confident grin at his companion, before attaching a steel tether to his suit.

Confident that he was safely attached to the lifeline to his ship, Yamcha made his way to the hatch as Puar latched on to the handlebar leading to the lower level. Grasping with all of his might, the shape-shifter cried out as the hatch was opened, the vacuum effect created attempting to draw everything not tied down within out into space. After testing to ensure the magnets that composed the bottom of his boots worked, Yamcha carefully made his way out of the ship. In the darkness of space, he was just barely able to make out the asteroids which drifted in front of the ship.

"Alright, let's see what I've got!" Holding out one arm, he drew on his ki as he summoned his only original technique. "Sokidan!"

The aptly named spirit energy bullet, appeared hovering above his hand, far more vibrant and powerful than he could ever recall seeing. Yamcha marveled at his technique for a moment, before an asteroid the size of a baseball whizzed past his head, redirecting his attention as the spaceship now entered the asteroid field. Realizing it was now or never, and feeling confidence surge even further, the martial artist launched the attack at an incoming asteroid. Despite being out-sized, the sokidan blasted through the rock with relative ease.

A flick of his wrist sent the ball of ki zig-zagging from rock to rock, shattering each one to pieces before moving onto the next one. To Puar, who was watching from within the ship, the scene was reminiscent of a pinball machine. The ki attack continued to carve a path through the debris, enabling the ship to continue along its intended trajectory. However, it was eventually halted once it collided with an asteroid, meters ahead. Nearly ten times the size of the spaceship in which he traveled, the ball of ki dissipated as it struck the rock. Shocked at this turn of events, Yamcha frowned as he considered his options for only a moment.

"No way is the Sokidan gonna cut it against that thing, I'm gonna have to bring the big gun against something like that," he muttered, cupping one hand on top of the other as he prepared to launch his most powerful ki attack. "KA-ME-HA-ME-HAAAAAAAAA!"

Thrusting his hands forward, the aptly named destruction wave barreled outward, striking the massive space object with incredible power. Yamcha found himself caught off-guard by the surge of ki, however, it initially seemed to have no effect on the asteroid. Feeling the muscles in his arms and legs ache in agony as he continued to pour his ki into the attack. Yamcha's struggle against the colossal object became more and more desperate as the spaceship came closer into contact with it. Knowing that if he didn't succeed in destroying it, his and Puar's lives would end before they ever reached their destination.

Pouring every ounce of ki he had into the attack, Yamcha gradually felt the destruction wave begin to break through the object as the concussive force of the ki forced its way through the center of the object's mass. Just as he felt the pain in his body to reach unbearable proportions, and just as he felt his ki begin to diminish, the Kamehameha finally managed to burrow its way through the large asteroid. The giant celestial object cracked, then splintered, before finally giving way as the stream of ki forced its way through. Just in the nick of time as well, as the spaceship, he was traveling on propelled through and past the debris of the space rock.

However, neither Yamcha or the ship was not spared from the backlash of the asteroid's destruction. And while the powerful magnets on the bottom of his boots were able to keep him anchored to the ship, his muscles were too exhausted from the combination of his training, and the expenditure of so much ki to keep him upright. The martial artist collapsed, somehow reflexively reaching out to grab the steel tether which ensured he would not be lost into the vast emptiness of space. Fighting against the ache and exhaustion that affected his body, Yamcha slowly managed to pull himself back to the hatch and into the ship, tumbling to the floor with a thud. A panicked Puar, having transformed himself into an adult human and donning a spacesuit himself, succeeded in closing and locking the latch to the ship.

"Are you alright, Yamcha-sama?!" Puar asked after removing his suit.

Discovering his friend to be nearly unconscious, and with labored breathing, the shape-shifter transformed back into his normal state. Moving to the living quarters to retrieve the bag of senzu beans from where they were stored. As he tended to his partner, both Puar and Yamcha were unaware of the ship's flashing computer monitor, signaling a change in course the ship was now taking. Selecting the nearest habitable planet within that sector of the galaxy, the Capsule Corp ship continued its path through space.

 _ **To Be Continued…..**_


	3. Running From Me

**Dragon Ball Oblivion: The Lone Wolf Saga**

Chapter 3 – Running From Me

By: Shisoukengo

 _Say a prayer for me, cause I can barely breathe, I'm suffering, and I can't take it_

 _Because of me, no one will ever see, this side of me, if I don't make it_

 _It's like I can't wake up, it's like I can't get up_

 _It's like I can't remember who I used to be_

 _Am I running from you or am I running from me?_

It was sometime later that Yamcha awoke, a worried Puar hovering faithfully at his side. Feeling the slight aches and pains still present throughout his body from his training, he groggily looked around as he took in his surroundings. His vision clearing, he took in the familiar sight of the Capsule corp spaceship in which he last recalled training. That is, until the furry face of his companion floated into his line of vision.

"Yamcha-sama, are you alright? How do you feel?" Puar asked, worry etched onto his face. He drifted aside as his longtime friend and accomplice sat up, placing a hand on his head and closing his eyes, as if willing the lightheaded away.

"Like I should ask if anyone got the license of that hovercraft," he stated, looking around as if confirming their ship was indeed in one piece.

"What happened to that meteor?" Yamcha asked, his memory slowly regaining clarity. Puar looked at his companion, confused as to why Yamcha was asking something he felt should've been obvious.

"Don't you remember, Yamcha-sama? You blew up that meteor with your Kamehameha." At Puar's statement, Yamcha stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend that his power had been capable of actually destroying such a massive object.

' _Was I really able to destroy that thing?'_ Yamcha thought, staring at one of his open hands. ' _That rock was massive! But the ship is still here, so Puar must be right about it.'_ Slowly, a wolfish grin appeared on his face, as the implications of this new information sank in. Puar, having noticed this, continue to look on as he pondered what exactly was going through his friend's mind.

' _All this time, I thought training at higher gravity would be like an extreme version of training on Kaio-sama's planet. That it would just boost my physical abilities. But it looks like the power of my ki increased also.'_ He could feel the potency of his energy flowing through him, far more vibrant and abundant than he'd ever felt before.

Rising from the cot Puar had placed him on, Yamcha approached the ship's computer. Initially, his first instinct was to return to his training, to finish what he'd started when he left Earth. However, the memory of confronting a life-threatening asteroid prompted a nagging thought within the martial artist.

"Yamcha-sama?" Puar questioned, still confused and now a little concerned about his friend's well-being. He hadn't said much since awakening, and seemed to be acting oddly.

"I'm good Puar, I just want to check something out before I get back to my training," Yamcha spoke, attempting to assuage his friend's concern.

Reaching the ship's computer, Yamcha began entering a series of commands, prompting the machine to respond to his inquiry. As the computer displayed the information Yamcha sought, his inquiry became clear, and both occupants blanched at what was displayed on the screen. The ship, although still in one piece thanks to Yamcha's efforts, had apparently been knocked off course during the colossal struggle. Dr. Briefs, however, had seemingly learned from Goku's previous excursion through space.

"Apparently Dr. Briefs built this ship to automatically correct course in the event that something causes it to go off course," Yamcha stated, as he and Puar continued to look at the screen. "Unfortunately, that diversion is gonna take us longer to get to Namek now."

The computer screen, showing the new trajectory at which the spaceship was traveling, showed the ship now barreling through space on a wide circular route, instead of the more straightforward path they had initially set upon. The good news was that this course correction did have the ship set to intersect with their original route at an upcoming point, prior to reaching new Namek. However, the bad news was that according to the computer's calculations, that brief diversion added at least nearly two weeks of time to their scheduled arrival.

' _And I'm no scientist, so there's no way I could risk messing with the computer to try and get us back on our original route,'_ Yamcha thought, his face marred in a frown that belied his disappointment at their first serious bump in the road.

"Is there anything we can do, Yamcha-sama?" Puar asked, still concerned for his friend's well-being, and himself equally disappointed in the setback that seemed to haunt his friend.

"I'm afraid not," Yamcha stated, shaking his head. "I can do basic repair work, but I don't know anything about changing our route. It seems like the only thing we can do is rely on the ship's computer to get us the rest of the way to Namek."

Puar nodded, but still not fully convinced that Yamcha was okay with the setback. Noticing the shapeshifter's body language, Yamcha smiled in an attempt to reassure his friend.

"Look on the bright side, Puar, now I've got more time to get even stronger," Yamcha stated, clutching his fist to display his resolve.

Puar smiled in response to his friend's enthusiasm, happy to see that the martial artist's determination hadn't wavered. With that, Yamcha returned back to the gravity device, setting it back where he'd left off at 100x Earth's gravity, as Puar returned to his rhinoceros beetle form. Ignoring the familiar pull to his body, the martial artist proceeded to return to his martial training. Although the piece of senzu Puar provided him earlier had worked wonders in accelerating the healing of his tired and torn muscles, Yamcha still decided to push more for improving his stamina and technique under the high gravity, rather than attempting to indulge in physical training.

' _I've been focusing a lot lately on building up my body, so I should give it a break and make sure I don't neglect developing the wolf fang fist,'_ he thought to himself as his hands, shaped like claws, struck out at an imaginary opponent. ' _After all, even doing this much at such high gravity is a workout enough. Even though, I'm not sure what methods I could use to improve it, except increasing the speed and strength of my strikes.'_

Although the fighter primarily engaged in image training during his meditation sessions, he also used it from time to time in his shadow boxing moments as well. And while each session usually ended with him being demolished if he envisioned fighting against the likes of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan or even Piccolo and the Androids, he noticed that he tended to fair much better against opponents more on his level. At the beginning of his training, he'd started out facing off against the likes of the saibamen, the Saiyan general Nappa, and later the Ginyu force members. Although he knew he far outclassed them, the saibamen were still a constant fixture in his shadow boxing moments. As in his mind they represented his most embarrassing moment as a martial artist.

' _I'll never forget that day. I'd trained so hard with Krillin and the others under Kami, I felt like I'd reached my peak. Seeing Tenshinhan take one down as easily as he did, I knew I could do it too,'_ he thought to himself, his hands still a blur as he willed himself to strike faster, harder, attacking the vital points of his adversary as he was taught. ' _I really was worried that something could still happen if I let Krillin step up next. I noticed they looked a bit desperate after Vegeta wiped out the first one. I figured they would pull something, and Krillin had already been wished back once with the dragon balls, so if anything were to happen, it'd be better to happen to me instead of him.'_

He continued to move, mixing in front, side, and round kicks between his strikes. His muscles strained, his face marred in a scowl of concentration as he fought against his imaginary opponents. Six of them running and leaping in coordinated movements, belying their simple, mindless appearance.

' _So I went instead of Krillin, and let my guard down because I thought I had the fight in the bag. I KNEW those things were desperate, and I still pulled such a stupid stunt, and turned my back on an enemy I hadn't fully put down. And I paid for it, dearly.'_

It didn't matter, he was still able to catch them, eliminating them with coordinated strikes, dodging their strikes, avoiding their acid attacks and ensuring they couldn't grab a hold of him. It didn't matter that even after years of inactivity, he was still much stronger than the saibamen, he always seemed to die in the explosion if he ever allowed one of them to catch him.

' _Now, it doesn't matter if I know I'm a lot stronger than those things were, I still see myself dying if I ever let myself get caught.'_ Yamcha then paused after executing a 10-strike combo, taking a much needed breather. ' _Maybe there's some sort of mental block I need to overcome.'_

Looking at his hands, Yamcha clenched them into fists, his chest heaving from exertion under the effects of the high gravity. Off to the side, Puar sat in his beetle transformation, experiencing similar strain as well. However, he also looked on with concern as his longtime friend crossed the room, staring outside of a nearby window as the spaceship continued to fly through the darkness of space, illuminated only by the numerous stars they zipped past.

"But how exactly am I supposed to do that? It's not like I have a way of fighting those things again." He muttered to himself. His gaze continued out into space a few moments more, before he steeled his gaze and began moving once again.

A few days later saw Yamcha once again standing in the main chamber of the spaceship, this time with the gravity set even higher than the 100x level he'd been training at. However, this time saw him neither performing any physical exercises, or engaging in any of the martial training used to improve his wolf fang fist style. He figured after weeks of that, he'd done as much as he could to improve his wolf fang fist. Instead, he flared his ki, aiming to work out a theory he'd come up with, one that he hoped would lead him to learning a technique that he knew would be essential for the remainder of his journey.

The fighter had kept up the regimen that he'd become accustomed to throughout his journey. Multiple hours of physical and martial training, under the intense effects of the gravity device built into the ship. Interspersed with food breaks, and hours of meditation and image training. He'd watched many of fights stored on ship's computer, that Dr. Briefs had managed to obtain from his and Bulma's study of Android 16 during Cell's rampage. The ones of particular interest, that he'd missed out on account of him having been killed at the time, were Goku's battle against the Saiyans, Nappa and Vegeta. And he continued to focus on the techniques Goku had used during those battles, one in particular.

' _I know I'm not able to use the genki dama, Kaio-sama had already confirmed that technique was ill-suited for us, because we didn't have the purity of heart Goku has,_ ' Yamcha thought, scowling at the thought of the Saiyan he had thought of as a friend.

Even now, the reminder of the man who had not thought highly enough of him to rely on him to fight for the sake of the universe, caused a deep feeling of resentment within him. One he didn't think would fade anytime soon, if at all. Which was ironic, as he was sure such a feeling only proved King Kaio's assertion correct, in regards to him mastering Goku's now famed trump card. However, that wasn't the technique he was interested in. No, the technique he hoped to master was another, the kaioken. Flaring his ki once again, Yamcha attempted to continue testing his theory, but so far had found his progress stalling again and again.

' _Kaio-sama did mention the kaioken among his list of techniques, but he never bothered to explain to us how exactly they work. He only promised to do so after we had mastered his planet's gravity and finished his training. However, that mess with the Ginyu force, and then Freeza must've forced him to forget to teach it to us,'_ he mused as he continued to flare his ki. However, he was still unable to yield the results he was looking for.

' _I've been at this for hours now, and I still can't figure out how to get it to work,'_ the martial artist thought. ' _Every fighter who uses ki, knows that if you concentrate it into a particular point, you can briefly increase your strength. The kaioken seems to work on a similar principle, but to a much broader degree.'_

He paused and opened his eyes, mulling over his theory as to how to learn the technique. And while he still felt the strain of the 120x level of gravity he now trained at, he didn't think it was enough to prevent him from focusing his ki in the manner which he needed.

' _The trick, I think, is to take that principle of concentrating ki, and instead apply it to your entire body. All at the same time. A lot harder to pull off than it sounds,'_ he mused, deciding now would be a good time for a break. ' _Maybe I should take it easy for a little while, give myself time to recharge.'_

Walking over to the gravity device, he powered it down to its default setting of x1, and immediately felt the strain of gravity release it's hold on him. Taking a few moments to move his limbs and get his blood flowing again, he heard the familiar pop of Puar's transformation. His longtime ally and partner resuming his normal form, the shapeshifter floated over to him, perching himself on his shoulder. The two gave each other a tired smile, before going to the kitchen of the ship where Yamcha prepared a meal. Although he doubted any of his friends back on Earth knew it, the former bandit's time in the desert had enabled him to hone his cooking skills into something respectable.

As such, prior to having gone to live at Capsule Corp, he had been primarily responsible for the preparation of his and Puar's meals. As he released a capsule containing ingredients for individual meals, Yamcha's mind began to drift back to his task of attempting to learn the kaioken. His body operated on autopilot, preparing meals he'd familiarized himself with long ago. Soon after, the pair were sitting and eating together as they were used to doing. They continued to use the ship's on-board entertainment system to entertain themselves with watching the few television shows that were pre-loaded. Soon after they were finished, Puar opted to sleep while Yamcha engaged in his customary meditation exercises.

Rather than engage in image training, the fighter attempted to clear his mind, hoping that doing so would enable him to gain greater clarity and discover a solution to the problem that eluded him. A feat that proved more difficult than usual, as he could not help the multitude of thoughts which ran through his mind. Thoughts such as the state of his friends after the tournament of power, the effects of his training, and most importantly, whether or not he would be able to decipher the puzzle that was the kaioken.

* * *

Under the bright sunlight of the green planet, a figure dashed along the plains of multiple landmasses, hopping from one to the next as fast it could. Two antenna protruded from its bald head, its chest heaved as it continued to run, maneuvering between the various hills and mountainous areas which occupied some of the landmasses. It wore a white robe and matching white pants, with a plain blue vest draped over its top, and brown shoes commonly worn by its people. In its hands, the figure carried a round object of considerable size, roughly about the size of its torso. The object gleaned under the light of the planet's multiple suns, revealing itself to have 4-stars on it.

"Cargot, stop at once!" A voice yelled out from a distance, coming from one of two individuals behind him.

Turning to glance back at where the voice had come from, the figure revealed to be Cargot rushed along as fast as his short legs could carry him. He refused to stop, however, or even acknowledge the voice as he continued to run along. Zigzagging between two particularly tall hills, containing multiple platforms, Cargot used the momentary obfuscation from view to catch his breath. Looking around at the surrounding islands, he was able to spot a small hole in one of the upper platforms located on a nearby hill. Knowing his pursuers were not far behind, he sped quickly over to the hill, trying his best to stay out of sight. He managed to make his way into the opening, making sure to keep himself as hidden as possible.

Clutching the round object to him, he carefully peaked out moments later, as he saw two individuals who resembled greatly, pause at the landmass he'd just been on. Being much taller, and bigger than him, the two figures held clear looks of worry and frustration on their faces, their heads turning back and forth as they tried to locate any sign of him. Hoping to keep himself from being noticed, Cargot ducked back down inside the entrance of his newfound hiding place, attempting to wait out his pursuers in the hopes that they would leave. However, before any action could be taken, the two pursuers had their attention taken as they looked off into the distance, watching as an object descended from the green sky.

"What is that, Maima?" One of them, dressed in a plain brown sleeveless shirt, and matching brown pants with a white sash wrapped around his waist, asked his companion. "A meteor?"

"No, Tsumuri. Look closely, it appears to be slowing down," the other figure, called Maima, replied as he also observed the falling object.

Dressed in a pair of tan brown pants and white sash and a blue collar, his shirtless green torso exposed to the elements, the two observers watched as the object finished its descent. Seeing the distraction of his pursuers, Cargot also caught sight of the object approaching from the sky. He couldn't make it out clearly from the distance they were at, but something about it seemed strangely familiar. An odd sensation, like a fleeting memory tugging at the back of his mind. Taking advantage of the opportunity afforded to him, the young being launched himself out of the hole and away from the hill, fleeing in the direction of the object.

"There! Cargot, stop and return the dragon ball," the one called Maima yelled, however his call went unheeded.

"No! I won't let him have them!" Cargot shouted back, his pursuers once again at his heels.

"Don't be foolish. If you don't return the dragon ball at once, you could doom the rest of the village!" Tsumuri stated, continuing to pursue the younger Cargot.

"All of Namek could be doomed if he gets this dragon ball," Cargot countered, continuing to maneuver as best he could to try and elude the two Namekians chasing him.

Eventually, though, the gap was slowly erased, bit by bit, as the longer legs and better conditioning of his pursuers enabled them to finally reach him. Grasping the younger Namekian by the back of his shirt, the one called Maima pulled Cargot off of his feet, as Tsumuri landed beside him. However, before the two could remove the dragon ball from his grasp, the three watched as what they now saw to be a giant circular object landing on a flat patch of land across from them. Four mechanical protrusions unfolded from the bottom of what they now realized to be a spaceship, allowing it to perch safely and easily on the surface below. The words "Capsule Corp" were emblazoned across the front of the spaceship, unfamiliar to the Namekian tongue, yet the object did strike a vaguely familiar chord with each of the three Namekians.

The trio watched as a door located in the center of the ship slowly opened, extending to reveal a set of metal steps which led to the ship's interior. After the door finished its descent, a figure approached from within, the sunlight from Namek slowly illuminating its figure. Voices could be heard from within, echoing out of the interior.

"Look Puar, we've finally made it to Namek," a deep, cool voice spoke out, further attracting the attention of the Namekians below.

The figure finally stepped fully into the open doorway, the Namekians instantly recognizing his Terran appearance. Dressed in an orange martial arts uniform, a blue sash wrapped around his waist, and a pair of matching blue shoes, his eyes squinted under the bright Namekian sunlight. A blue feline-like creature floated out behind the strange human, landing on his shoulder as it also surveyed the landscape.

"Wow, it looks so different, yet so similar to home," the strange beast known as Puar stated, alternating between looking at the surrounding water, land, and the sky above.

"Are those...Terran?" Cargot asked, having a vague recollection of the beings who were once their foreign saviors and hosts after the destruction of their old home-world.

"The tall one, he looks kind of like Goku-san," Maima stated, having once glimpsed the man who had defeated the alien menace, Freeza, as he'd been present at the time Goku had come to recruit a new guardian for Earth.

"But what is he doing here?" Tsumuri asked, finding it strange that the Saiyan would be on Namek of all places, and sporting a different look as well.

The voices of the three Namekians drew the human's attention away from his sightseeing of planet Namek. Looking down at them, Yamcha was caught off guard to see them so soon upon arrival. What was also surprising is that one of them, the smaller of the three, held what he recognized as a dragon ball in his hand. He then took in the rest of the sight before him, noticing in particular how the two bigger Namekians held the obviously younger one.

"I wonder what these guys are doing out here?" He spoke quietly to himself, having not seen any sign of a city or town anywhere around his landing site.

"Do you think they've come to fight?" Puar asked, hesitant at the idea of his friend engaging in a fight with the locals, so soon after arriving. The shapeshifter knew they had not come all the way here for that, but was also aware that Yamcha would defend the two of them if push came to shove. Yamcha shook his head in response, a contemplative look still on his face.

"I don't think so, Puar. We've helped them out before, and they spent time with us at Capsule corp. They should know we didn't come here to hurt anyone. Especially since Dende's the guardian of our world. If anything, that should make us allies." Yamcha responded.

Using his ki, the athlete and martial artist floated upward out of the entrance of the ship, deliberately moving slowly to land in front of them hoping to pacify the three Namekians. His approach, combined with his appearance, only served to confuse them, and placed the three aliens on edge. Landing in front of them, Yamcha raised his hand, the three Namekians stepping back reflexively only to be caught off-guard as the Terran placed it on the back of his head, smiling with closed eyes as he attempted to defuse the tension he could feel.

"So, any chance you guys are here to welcome me?" He asked, in a fumbling attempt at the Namekian language. His attempt was seemingly successful, as the Namekians blinked in confusion at him, Tsumuri and Maima looking at each other before turning back to their visitor. Although the human had made a poor attempt at speaking their native tongue, the three of them were just able to make out what he was attempting to say.

"We speak the galactic language," Maima stated, assuming that the new arrival was more fluent in that than in the Namekian language.

Yamcha blinked, unsure as to what was more amazing to him, the fact that he could understand them clearly, or that the galactic language appeared to be so similar to that of Earth's. However, this surprise was more than welcome for him, as he was already embarrassed at failing his first attempt at the Namekian language. Resorting to old habits, he laughed in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"That's great, I wasn't sure I'd be able to communicate with you guys well enough at first," he responded, his doltish demeanor somewhat defusing the Namekians' tension.

Cargot, having come to the conclusion that the Terran standing in front of them wasn't a threat, began thrashing in an attempt to escape his captors' grasp. He managed to partially accomplish this, getting set back on the ground, but unable to escape the grip that Maima held on him. The movement, of course, drew Yamcha's attention as he noticed the young Namekian doing everything in his power to keep the other two from grabbing onto the dragon ball he clutched.

' _Sure hope I haven't walked into some infighting situation,'_ he thought as he watched the scene before him. ' _It's not like I'm any good at playing peacemaker.'_ Unsure as to what was going on, and wanting to be careful not to offend the three in front of him, Yamcha calmly attempted to gain the three Namekians' attention, hoping to find out what was going on.

"Uhh, hey guys, not trying to butt into your business here, but mind telling me what's going on?" he asked, his hands up in what he hoped was the universal gesture for "calm down". His attempt was successful at getting their attention, and halting their activity only momentarily, before it was broken by the young Namekian.

"Please help me! He can't be allowed to gain the dragon balls again!" Cargot pleaded, catching Yamcha off guard at what he assumed was a kid's desperation. Blinking in confusion at being caught off guard by the young Namekian's tone, Yamcha found himself further confused at the youngster's end of the world tone.

' _Why are these guys trying so hard to take a dragon ball from a kid?'_ Yamcha mused, fully processing what he'd just heard, ' _The kid said "he" though, but which of these guys is he talking about? And why would he be trying so hard to keep the dragon ball from one of his own people?'_

He now looked suspiciously at the other two, noticing how aggressive they were being, and recognizing now that they were attempting to take the dragon ball from the young one. However, he was then forced to lean backward as one of the older Namekians yelled back at the kid, the one who had addressed him earlier.

"You know we have no choice! You'll only wind up getting yourself and everyone else killed if you continue this!" Maima spoke, his choice of words, and matching tone of desperation unmistakable to Yamcha's ears. The martial artist only found himself further caught off guard as the other Namekian, dressed in all brown, maneuvered himself in front of the other two.

"I'm not sure what has brought you to our world, Goku-san, but I must ask you to stay out of this," he spoke, his body tense in preparation of a confrontation. Although the Namekian was under no illusion that he could stand a chance against the powerful Saiyan.

Hearing himself be addressed with his friend's name broke Yamcha out of his thoughts, as he suddenly realized that he hadn't properly introduced himself. However, before he could respond, the group's attention was drawn to the sound of nearby laughter. Turning, each of them took in the sight of two figures perched on a hill above them. One of them, an incredibly tall and hulking figure with red hair, tan skin, and possessing horns, glared down at them. He wore metallic suspenders in the design of a Y, the two upper portions running over his massive shoulders, the bottom portion leading down to a pair of plain black briefs and matching combat boots. The other, a shorter figure possessing a much more stout frame and a pair of wings, wore a pair of dark red pants with black combat boots, his upper body guarded by a series of metallic plates, grinned down at them in a maniacal fashion.

"Well well, looks like you managed to track down the dragon ball for us, neh Zeeun?," the shorter one spoke, addressing the taller one.

"Yeah Dorodabo, a shame we'll have to kill them though," Zeeun replied to his accomplice, his eyes moving from the Namekians to Yamcha. "And looks like we get a bonus as well."

Yamcha glared back at the two in response, recognizing bad guys when he saw them. Seeing the two beings that had just arrived, the Namekians immediately tensed once again. The older two stared in fear, while Cargot openly shook where he stood, immediately familiar with the power the two possessed. Realizing what was about to happen, Puar left his perch from his friend's shoulder, floating closer to the Namekians. As the human martial artist turned to fully face the two new arrivals, he quietly spoke, addressing the Namekians he had yet to officially meet.

"I take it these jerks aren't part of the welcome committee," he asked, gesturing with his thumb to the two antagonists.

The Namekians looked at him, shaking their heads in support of his rhetorical question. Noticing how hesitant and afraid the Namekians appeared to be, Yamcha turned back to their would be antagonists. Taking a moment, he reached out with his ki, attempting to see exactly who it was they were dealing with. Gauging them with his senses, the martial artist was surprised to determine that his would be opponents didn't appear all that strong, compared to the previous threats he'd had to go up against.

' _Wow, the Nameks are really spooked. But these guys don't seem to be all that tough, definitely not any stronger than the Ginyu force,_ ' he thought, recalling his, Tenshinhan, and Chiaotzu's training on Kaio's planet while they were dead, part of which involved having to go up against the elite soldiers of Freeza's army. ' _Strange, they don't seem to be hiding any of their ki either._ ' Glancing back at the group of Namekians, he spoke quietly as he maneuvered his way in front of them.

"I'll help you guys out with this, but I'm gonna need some details about what's going on when this is over." At his words, all three Namekians shared the same look of surprise, particularly the two older ones as they had also been using their senses to gauge his ki.

' _What is he thinking?_ ' Tsumuri thought, his fist clenched as he realized that they were in no position to help. ' _Based on the ki I sense from him, he seems strong enough to fight either one of them. But both at once will likely be too much._ ' His partner, Maima, seemed to share his thoughts.

' _Must we rely on the Terran to save us once again?_ ' the warrior thought, gritting his teeth in frustration. Puar, meanwhile, hovered near them, instinctively making his way over to float near the smaller Cargo. Meanwhile, Yamcha stared down the two strangers, attempting to intimidate them with his game face.

' _Guess I'm gonna get to see how my training paid off sooner rather than later,_ ' he thought, as his eyes switched from one to the other. "Not sure what your deal is here with these guys, but it doesn't sound too friendly. I'd get out of here if I were you," he finished, leaving his threat unspoken.

This only caused the two burly antagonists to chuckle, amused by the much smaller fighter standing before them. The grins they both sported held a sadistic nature to them, seemingly undisturbed by the implied threat. Yamcha, however, did his best to not be intimidated by their reaction at all, knowing that if what he was sensing about these two opponents were true, then he was fairly confident in the outcome of a fight. Looking down at the strange Terran, the two brutes jumped down from their perch, landing a few feet away in front of him.

"Alright Zeeun, leave this runt to me," Dorodabo stated, popping the knuckles of each hand as he stepped forward. The red-haired Zeeun smirked, watching as his comrade prepared for battle.

"Fine, but I get the other three," Zeeun replied, switching his gaze over to the Namekians, a sadistic smirk still prominent on his face.

"You guys seriously don't wanna do this," Yamcha replied, standing confidently, a confident grin making its way onto his face. "I'm a lot stronger than I look."

"That's alright, it's not gonna make a difference in the end," Dorodabo stated, his sadism still on full display.

Without another word spoken, the giant winged gargoyle charged forward, moving at impressive speed for a being his size. However, while this speed astonished the Namekians, Yamcha found himself surprised for an entirely different reason. The big winged creature appeared to be moving at a slug's pace to the Earthling, his right fist cocked back to deliver what he was sure was meant to be a crushing blow. Wisps of transparent ki encircled the gargoyle's fist then extended further down his arm, appearing to further enhance the power behind his strike. However, Yamcha refused to budge, digging his heels, knees bent slightly as he prepared for the strike.

"Evil gravity charge!" Dorodabo thrust his fist forward upon reaching his target, the blow seemingly landing as the ki that surrounded it was released, kicking up dirt and scorching the soil beneath where his enemy stood.

The cloud of dust it created obscured the two combatants from view of the spectators, whose reactions all varied. The Namekians continued to wear looks of apprehension and fear, worried that the Terran could've been defeated all too quickly under the destructive power of such a blow. Puar wore a look of concern, believing that his friend's training would enable him to survive such a devastating strike. Zeeun, knowing his companion's reputation of having the greatest physical strength of their master's warriors, continued to smirk as he assumed the battle as having ended. However, his expression found itself changing moments later, as he was soon able to make out the shadow of the two figures within the dust cloud. Usually, his companion's attack obliterated anything that stood in front of it.

A gust of wind blew, drawing aside the curtain of dust, revealing the two figures within, and leaving everyone astonished at what they were seeing. Dorodabo stood slightly leaning forward, his right hand outstretched, fist captured within the human's two hands which were held out just in front of his chest. Yamcha's face switched from a focused one, to a grin as he held his attacker's fist in his grip. Dorodabo leaned back, in a state of disbelief at his this strange warrior surviving his most powerful technique. He pulled his fist back, taking a step back as if instinctively attempting to put space between the two.

"Hope that wasn't the best you've got," Yamcha spoke, his confidence gaining more and more momentum at realizing just how strong he'd managed to become in such a short time. "Because it looks like it's gonna take a lot more than that to take me out!"

Dorodabo's face quickly morphed into one of anger at being openly mocked by the alien warrior. Clenching both fists, the gargoyle like creature began launching a series of powerful, but wide-swinging blows. Yamcha merely dodged and side-stepped each one, engaging his much bulkier opponent in maneuvering to see who could gain better positioning and strike first. The answer was soon discovered, as after missing several strikes, Dorodabo released a yell of frustration as he released an overhand punch, his fist swinging downward. The blow appeared as if it would land momentarily, only for it to pass through as Yamcha seemingly phased out of view. Employing a tried and true tactic, the Terran fighter appeared suddenly behind his enemy. Right fist clenched at his side, ki encircled Yamcha's fist in a manner similar to his enemy, though confining itself no further than his wrist.

"GET AWAY, DORODABO!" Zeeun yelled, watching as his companion turned in shock.

"Told ya, I'm a lot stronger than I look," he spoke, thrusting his fist forward, releasing the concentration of ki just his punch landed.

Time seemed to stand still momentarily as Dorodabo's face went from shock to abject horror, before everything seemed to move forward again. The creature's chest seemed to implode, flesh and blown blasting outward as the ball of ki forced its way through his bulky torso. Mustering just enough strength to reach both hands down to his now gaping wound, as if attempting to keep his insides from spilling out any more from his body. Finally, after moments, the bulky creature fell forward, landing face down into the ground surrounded by bits of his own flesh and blood. Pulling his fist back, Yamcha stood back up straight, turning side on as he leveled the remaining alien with his game face. Puar and the Namekians each wore astonished looks, all of them surprised by the display the Earthling put on.

Zeeun gritted his teeth, not wanting to believe that such a runt of a being could be so strong, yet also not wanting to show his opponent the fear that was growing within. His monstrous hands clenched into fists as he mustered up the courage from within himself. He knew now that this enemy was powerful fighter, but was no coward, as he knew what awaited him if he were to turn tail and run. And while he assumed that the being standing in front of him could not be that much stronger than him, he knew the depth of his master's strength, and had no desire to see such power directed toward him. In this case, the devil he knew wasn't better than the devil he didn't, and he was determined to take revenge for his fallen companion.

"You little runt, you may have beaten Dorodabo, but you won't catch me off guard with tricks like that," Zeeun commented before charging forward.

Slipping into a basic guard stance, Yamcha proceeded forward as well, meeting his opponent in a few steps. The two then appeared to vanish momentarily, before reappearing and beginning to seemingly fade in and out of view. Only the two Namekian warriors seemed able to keep up with their movement, as neither Cargot or Puar had been taught the ability to sense ki. However, that did not stop the furry shapeshifter from expressing support for his longtime friend.

"Go get him, Yamcha-sama!" Puar called out, seemingly at nothing.

"Unbelievable," Tsumuri stated, his eyes tracking the movement of the two combatants.

"Are all Terran this strong?" Maima asked, seemingly to no one in particular.

Cargot was the only one to remain silent, unsure of what to say to what he couldn't see. Instead, he settled for closing his eyes, as if willing the human fighter to win. Meanwhile, Yamcha dodged, blocked, and parried a series of blows from Zeeun, as the horned monstrosity continued his assault. Appearing calm in the face of such ferocity, the former bandit was able to assess his opponent's skills.

' _He's good, more coordinated than that other guy,_ ' Yamcha thought, side-stepping another punch. ' _He's not clunky like the other guy, and he's more conventional than that Ginyu force guy I fought at Kaio-sama's._ '

Reaching out he trapped his opponent's arm in a wolf fang lock, similar to the one he'd used years ago in his tournament match against Tenshinhan. His fingers easily pierced the flesh of his adversary, similar to the teeth of a wolf sinking into its prey, causing the bigger warrior to cry out in pain. Locking hold of the arm, he twisted, using the momentum of Zeeun's punch to bring alien fighter over his head, planting him headfirst into the ground. Yamcha then stood back, keeping his guard up, and watching as the creature used one arm to pry himself out of the ground. Zeeun rolled over onto his haunches, looking up only to see the Earthling staring down at him. Gritting his teeth, the horned warrior got himself onto one knee, as Yamcha quietly shook his head in response. In reaction to the silent statement, Zeeun leaped into the air, an aura of blinding ki surrounding his body.

"EVIL IMPACT!" As he reached the apex of ascent he let out a defiant roar, before suddenly plummeting down to the Terran below.

Yamcha braced himself for impact, his confidence increasing more and more as his sensed the full depth of his enemy's strength. The resulting impact from the blow caused explosive results, causing Maima and Tsumuri to shield themselves and the two non-combatants from the aftershock using their own ki. Each of them closed their eyes, arms up reflexively in front of them. After a few moments, the debris and ki dissipated, everything settling down as they all reopened their eyes to see the outcome of the violent clash. Once again, the spectators found themselves staring at disbelief, their slack jawed look a testament to the scene in front of them. Zeeun also found himself similarly perplexed, as his horned forehead was caught dead center in the left palm of the Earthling in front of him. Before his mind could fully process what had occurred, his opponent spoke.

"I think it's my turn now," Yamcha stated, before striking with blinding speed as his right hand shot forward and across his body.

His hand shaped into a claw, his palm struck the still lax jaw of Zeeun with full force, knocking the much bigger fighter away and sending him tumbling end over end. Just before he could come to a stop up against a nearby cliff wall, however, Yamcha was on top of him, again impressing with his speed. Raising a hand above, the human struck downward, striking with such force that not only did he pin his adversary to a stop against the ground, but caused Zeeun to fold in half from the blow. The alien creature coughed up blood, suffering internal injuries from the damage of the strike. Yamcha extracted his hand, standing back to a fully upright position, staring down at the being beneath him.

' _I can't believe how much stronger I've gotten,'_ he thought, glancing to his hands, marveling at his own performance. ' _Not just from the gravity training, but my movements as well. It's like every hit I'm landing is intending to finish these guys off. I don't think I've ever fought like this before. If I didn't know any better, it's like all those image training sessions reprogrammed my fighting style in some way.'_

Coming out of his thoughts, he once again returned his attention to the alien in front of him, who let out a pained groan as he attempted to rise back to his feet. Yamcha stood his ground, watching the creature carefully, on edge in anticipation of any sort of last act of desperation from his adversary. Zeeun finally rose, still bent over and clutching his abdomen.

"I'm giving you one last warning. Get outta here now, or I promise the next hit will finish you," he warned, his game face still in place to show the creature he meant business.

Zeeun appeared to weigh his options, coming to the conclusion that it would be better for him to escape now and return with back up. After all, he knew now that he could not defeat the Terran in front of him, not on his own, and he had comrades who held special abilities that could be useful in helping to defeat such a man. And aside from that, someone had to warn their master of the impending threat now looming on the planet.

"I-I'll be back, just you wait and see. You're gonna regret letting me live," he threatened, activating his ki as he took flight, taking off into the sky and, presumably, back to where he came from.

Yamcha continued standing, watching the sky to make sure the alien didn't try to pull anything. Confirming that he had indeed left the area, the human then turned, eyeing the corpse of the other creature, as if suspicious that it would jump up and attempt to catch him off guard. Confident that it was down for good, he finally allowed himself to relax and lower his guard. Which was why he found himself caught off-guard, a victim to Puar's customary glomp.

"You did it, Yamcha-sama!" The shapeshifter cried out, attaching to his friend rubbing his fur against him. Yamcha smiled, reaching up with one hand to scratch the head of his companion.

"Thanks Puar, but I get the feeling those guys were just henchmen, and something or someone else is pulling the strings," He spoke his heartfelt thanks to his companion, then fully turned to the Namekians who stood still staring at him.

"So, how about you guys fill me in on those details now," he spoke, a relaxed grin still on his face.

 _To Be Continued…._

 _Power levels:_

 _Yamcha - 750,000_

 _Puar - 500_

 _Cargot - 1,500_

 _Maima - 3,200_

 _Tsumuri - 3,000_

 _Zeeun - 45,000_

 _Dorodabo - 36,000_


End file.
